窗户

• Pinyin: chuāng hu
• Hanzi breakdown: 窗 = 穴 (hole/cave) + 囱 (chimney opening); 户 = pictograph of a single door panel

Meaning

Window. An opening in a wall or roof fitted with glass to let in light and air.

The standard everyday word for 'window' in spoken Chinese. Used in all contexts from homes to offices to vehicles. 户 is a suffix that makes the word more colloquial. Common collocations include 开窗户 (open the window), 关窗户 (close the window), 窗户玻璃 (window glass).

Examples

1. 请帮我把窗户打开，房间里太闷了。 Please open the window for me — the room is too stuffy.
2. 风把窗户吹开了，雨水都飘进来了。 The wind blew the window open and rain drifted in.
3. 从这个窗户可以看到远处的山。 You can see the mountains in the distance from this window.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 天气好的时候我喜欢打开窗户。(I like to open the window when the weather is nice.)
• 小心，别让孩子爬到窗户上面去。(Be careful — don't let the child climb onto the window.)

Don't Say

• 正式文章中写'窗户' (In formal or literary writing, use 窗 alone rather than 窗户 — the suffix 户 is colloquial)

Origin & History

窗 (window, from 穴 = hole + 囱 = chimney/opening) + 户 (door, household). 户 serves as a colloquial suffix. The character 窗 evolved from depicting a hole in the roof for ventilation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal