厅

• Pinyin: tīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 厅 = 广 (shelter) + 丁 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Hall; large room; government department or bureau.

Has multiple uses: (1) a hall or large room in a building (客厅 living room, 餐厅 dining hall/restaurant), (2) a government bureau or department at provincial level (教育厅 Department of Education), (3) a theater or auditorium space. Very common in place names and architecture.

Examples

1. 这套公寓有两室一厅，面积刚好够一家三口住。 This apartment has two bedrooms and one living room, just enough space for a family of three.
2. 省教育厅发布了新的招生政策。 The provincial Department of Education released new enrollment policies.
3. 电影院有好几个放映厅，我们在三号厅。 The cinema has several screening rooms; we're in Hall 3.

Usage Guide

Context: architecture, government, entertainment

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 三室两厅的房子。(A house with three bedrooms and two living areas.)
• 到大厅集合。(Gather in the main hall.)

Don't Say

• 我在厅里 without specifying which hall — 厅 alone is ambiguous; specify 客厅, 餐厅, etc.

Origin & History

The character 厅 uses 广 (shelter radical) indicating a building structure, with 丁 as the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal