宫

• Pinyin: gōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 宫 = 宀 (roof) + 呂 (two chambers) — a large building with multiple rooms, i.e., a palace

Meaning

Palace; temple; womb. A large, grand building or bodily organ.

Multiple meanings: 1) Imperial palace: 故宫 (Forbidden City), 皇宫 (imperial palace). 2) Temple/hall: 少年宫 (children's palace/youth center). 3) Anatomy: 子宫 (uterus/womb). 4) Music: one of the five notes in traditional Chinese music. Common in place names and compounds related to grand buildings.

Examples

1. 故宫是世界上保存最完整的古代木结构宫殿群。 The Forbidden City is the world's most completely preserved ancient wooden palace complex.
2. 小时候我经常去少年宫学画画和弹钢琴。 When I was young, I often went to the Children's Palace to learn painting and piano.
3. 月宫的传说一直是中秋节文化的重要组成部分。 The legend of the Moon Palace has always been an important part of Mid-Autumn Festival culture.

Usage Guide

Context: architecture, history, anatomy

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 故宫每年接待数百万游客。(The Forbidden City receives millions of visitors each year.)
• 这座宫殿建于明朝。(This palace was built during the Ming Dynasty.)

Don't Say

• 把普通房子叫宫 (Don't call ordinary houses 宫 — it specifically refers to palaces or grand halls)

Origin & History

Pictograph showing a building with multiple rooms (宀 roof + 呂 two connected chambers). Originally meant a large residence with many rooms.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal