Chinese word

阳台

Pronunciation

Pinyinyáng tái

Meaning

  • nounbalcony

Example

我在阳台喝咖啡。wǒ zài yáng tái hē kā fēi

I'm drinking coffee on the balcony.

Illustration for 阳台 (balcony)

More examples

孩子们在阳台上玩耍，父母从窗里看着他们。hái zi men zài yáng tái shàng wán shuǎ fù mǔ cóng chuāng lǐ kàn zhe tā men

The children are playing on the balcony, and their parents are watching them from the window.

Core concept

An outdoor platform that projects from a building, giving people a small place to stand, store things, or rest.

Common phrases

  • 阳台晒太阳yáng tái shài tài yáng

    bask in the sun on the balcony

  • 推开阳台门tuī kāi yáng tái mén

    push open the balcony door

  • 在阳台上放花盆zài yáng tái shàng fàng huā pén

    place flowerpots on the balcony

Similar words

露台lù tái: A flat outdoor place joined to a building where people can stand or put things.
天台tiān tái: A flat open place at the highest part of a building, forming its roof area.
窗台chuāng tái: The narrow flat surface beneath a window where small objects can sit.

Definition in Chinese

住宅或建筑外部伸出的可用空间，常用于放置盆栽、晾晒或短时休憩，形式有开放式或封闭式。zhù zhái huò jiàn zhù wài bù shēn chū de kě yòng kōng jiān cháng yòng yú fàng zhì pén zāi liàng shài huò duǎn shí xiū qì xíng shì yǒu kāi fàng shì huò fēng bì shì

Word origin

阳台 (yángtái, "balcony") combines 阳 (yáng, "sun") and 台 (tái, "platform"), suggesting a platform exposed to sunlight.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may picture a balcony as fully open, but Chinese homes also use this noun for an enclosed space with windows, so it does not by itself specify the design.

Other meanings

  • terracenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word