隔壁

• Pinyin: gé bì
• Hanzi breakdown: 隔 = to separate; 壁 = wall

Meaning

Next door; the neighbor's place. The adjacent room, house, or unit.

Refers to what's immediately adjacent, whether a room, apartment, house, or business. Also used figuratively for neighboring entities or as shorthand for neighbors.

Examples

1. 隔壁刚搬来一家新邻居。 A new neighbor just moved in next door.
2. 你听到隔壁的音乐声了吗？太吵了。 Did you hear the music from next door? It's too loud.
3. 隔壁那家餐厅的饭菜很好吃。 The restaurant next door has delicious food.

Usage Guide

Context: housing, neighbors, location

Tone: conversational

Do Say

• 隔壁住的是谁？(Who lives next door?)
• 去隔壁借点盐。(Go next door to borrow some salt.)

Don't Say

• 隔壁国家 (For neighboring countries, use 邻国 — 隔壁 is for immediate physical adjacency in buildings)

Origin & History

Compound of 隔 (to separate) + 壁 (wall), meaning the other side of the wall.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal