院子

• Pinyin: yuàn zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 院 = 阝 (wall) + 完 (complete), meaning 'courtyard'; 子 = noun suffix

Meaning

Courtyard; yard. An enclosed outdoor space attached to a house or building.

Refers to the open area within a walled compound, typical of traditional Chinese residential architecture. In modern usage, also refers to any yard or outdoor area around a house. A key feature of traditional Chinese homes where families gather and grow plants.

Examples

1. 院子里有一棵大树。 There's a big tree in the courtyard.
2. 孩子们在院子里玩。 The children are playing in the yard.
3. 奶奶每天在院子里浇花。 Grandma waters the flowers in the courtyard every day.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我家有一个小院子。(My house has a small courtyard.)
• 院子里晒着衣服。(Clothes are drying in the yard.)

Don't Say

• 我在院子工作。(Ambiguous — be specific: 我在院子里干活 for working in the yard, or 我在医院工作 for working at a hospital.)

Origin & History

Compound of 院 (courtyard/compound) and 子 (noun suffix), specifying the outdoor space within a compound.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal