平方米

• Pinyin: píng fāng mǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 平 = level/flat; 方 = square/direction; 米 = rice (phonetic loan for 'meter')

Meaning

Square meter; the standard metric unit for measuring area, commonly used in real estate and construction.

The standard unit for measuring floor space in China. Real estate listings, rental agreements, and construction specifications all use 平方米. In casual speech, often abbreviated to 平米. Chinese apartments are typically measured by 建筑面积 (gross floor area) rather than 使用面积 (usable area), which can cause confusion for those unfamiliar with local conventions.

Examples

1. 这套公寓的面积是八十五平方米。 This apartment has an area of eighty-five square meters.
2. 他们打算买一套一百二十平方米左右的房子。 They plan to buy a house of around one hundred twenty square meters.
3. 这个商铺的租金是每平方米两百元。 The rent for this shop is two hundred yuan per square meter.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, construction, daily life

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 这房子有多少平方米？(How many square meters is this house?)
• 我们办公室大概两百平方米。(Our office is about 200 square meters.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中不要说'平方米数' (Don't say 平方米数 — just use 平方米 or 平米 directly)

Origin & History

A compound of 平方 (square, as in mathematical squaring) and 米 (meter, borrowed from French 'mètre'). Introduced as part of China's adoption of the metric system.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal