院

• Pinyin: yuàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 院 = 阝 (wall/mound radical) + 完 (complete, phonetic component)

Meaning

Courtyard; institution; compound. A walled or enclosed space, or a formal institution.

Has two main uses: (1) courtyard or yard — 院子 (courtyard); (2) institution — 医院 (hospital), 学院 (college), 法院 (court), 电影院 (cinema). Often appears as a suffix in the names of official institutions and buildings.

Examples

1. 我们去电影院看电影吧。 Let's go to the cinema to watch a film.
2. 他在医院工作了二十年。 He has worked at the hospital for twenty years.
3. 院里种了一棵大树。 There's a big tree planted in the courtyard.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, institutions

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 电影院在那边。(The cinema is over there.)
• 他被送到医院了。(He was sent to the hospital.)

Don't Say

• 我在院看电影。(Don't use 院 alone to mean 'cinema' — say 电影院. 院 alone usually refers to a courtyard.)

Origin & History

Composed of 阝 (wall/mound radical) and 完 (to complete), originally referring to a walled courtyard or enclosure.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal