Chinese word

瓦

Pronunciation

Pinyinwǎ

Meaning

  • nounroof tile

Example

他爬上去修理了坏掉的瓦。tā pá shàng qù xiū lǐ le huài diào de wǎ

He climbed up to repair the broken roof tiles.

Illustration for 瓦 (roof tile)

More examples

古镇的房子大多盖着瓦屋顶。gǔ zhèn de fáng zi dà duō gài zhe wǎ wū dǐng

Most houses in the old town have tiled roofs.

Core concept

A hard, repeated roof piece arranged in rows to keep rain and wind out.

Common phrases

  • 青瓦qīng wǎ

    blue roof tile

  • 瓦屋顶wǎ wū dǐng

    tiled roof

Similar words

瓦片wǎ piàn: One thin roofing piece placed in a row with other pieces.
屋顶wū dǐng: The part of a building above the rooms that shelters them from weather.
砖zhuān: A solid piece of fired clay or similar material used in building walls and paving.
瓷砖cí zhuān: A glazed slab of fired material fixed onto a wall or floor as a covering.

Definition in Chinese

用于覆盖屋顶、阻挡风雨的小型瓦片，传统多为陶土烧制，现代也有瓷制或金属等替代品。yòng yú fù gài wū dǐng zú dǎng fēng yǔ de xiǎo xíng wǎ piàn chuán tǒng duō wèi táo tǔ shāo zhì xiàn dài yě yǒu cí zhì huò jīn shǔ děng tì dài pǐn

Word origin

The character 瓦 (wǎ, "roof tile") represents the shape of an old curved roofing tile, linking its written form to its original object.

Usage tips

  • The word names one physical piece rather than the entire roof, which helps distinguish a damaged tile from damage to the roof as a whole in everyday descriptions.

Related words

  • 青瓦qīng wǎblue roof tilenoun
  • 瓦片wǎ piàntilenoun

Word lists with this word