楼梯

• Pinyin: lóu tī
• Hanzi breakdown: 楼 = 木 (wood) + 娄 (hollow, phonetic) — a multi-story wooden building; 梯 = 木 (wood) + 弟 (younger brother, phonetic) — a ladder

Meaning

Stairs; staircase. A set of steps for going between floors of a building.

Refers to the physical structure of stairs in a building. Can be indoor or outdoor stairs. Distinguished from 电梯 (elevator) and 扶梯 (escalator). Often used with 上 (go up) or 下 (go down). 楼梯间 refers to a stairwell.

Examples

1. 电梯坏了，我们只能走楼梯。 The elevator is broken, so we can only take the stairs.
2. 她每天都爬楼梯锻炼身体。 She climbs stairs every day to exercise.
3. 小心楼梯很滑，慢慢走。 Be careful — the stairs are slippery, walk slowly.

Usage Guide

Context: building, everyday, exercise

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 办公室在三楼，你可以走楼梯上去。(The office is on the third floor — you can take the stairs.)
• 楼梯旁边有一个消防通道。(There's a fire escape next to the staircase.)

Don't Say

• 我站在楼梯上面 — this is ambiguous; specify 楼梯口 (at the top/bottom of stairs) or 楼梯上 (on the stairs) for clarity

Origin & History

楼 means 'multi-story building' and 梯 means 'ladder' or 'steps.' Together they describe the ladder-like structure within a building for going between floors.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal