Chinese word

沙发

Pronunciation

Pinyinshā fā

Meaning

  • nounsofa

Example

我们的沙发很舒服。wǒ men de shā fā hěn shū fú

Our sofa is very comfortable.

Illustration for 沙发 (sofa)

More examples

周末我和朋友一起坐在沙发上看电影。zhōu mò wǒ hé péng yǒu yì qǐ zuò zài shā fā shàng kàn diàn yǐng

On weekends, my friends and I sit on the sofa and watch movies together.

Core concept

A long, padded indoor seat with a back, made for resting alone or sitting with others.

Common phrases

  • 坐在沙发上zuò zài shā fā shàng

    sit on a sofa

  • 躺在沙发上tǎng zài shā fā shàng

    lie on a sofa

  • 买沙发mǎi shā fā

    buy a sofa

Similar words

椅子yǐ zi: A seat with a back, usually made for one person.
座位zuò wèi: A place or seat prepared for someone to sit.
床chuáng: A piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting.
凳子dèng zi: A small seat for one person without a back.

Definition in Chinese

一种有软垫和靠背的室内坐具，通常放在客厅，供人休息或多人就坐。yì zhǒng yǒu ruǎn diàn hé kào bèi de shì nèi zuò jù tōng cháng fàng zài kè tīng gōng rén xiū xī huò duō rén jiù zuò

Word origin

沙发 (shāfā, "sofa") is a sound-based borrowing of the English word sofa, with characters chosen mainly to match its pronunciation rather than to describe the furniture.

Usage tips

  • The measure word 张 (zhāng, "measure word for broad, flat objects") is used for this item in ordinary speech, making it a useful everyday pattern.

Related words

  • 沙发床shā fā chuángsofa bednoun
  • 沙发套shā fā tàosofa covernoun
  • 沙发客shā fā kècouch surfernoun

Word lists with this word