屋顶

• Pinyin: wū dǐng
• Hanzi breakdown: 屋 = 尸 + 至 (a person arriving under shelter — a room or house); 顶 = 丁 + 页 (the top of the head — apex)

Meaning

Roof; rooftop. The uppermost covering structure of a building.

Everyday term used for both the structural element (修缮屋顶 = repair the roof) and the accessible surface on top of a building (屋顶花园 = rooftop garden, 屋顶停车场 = rooftop car park). Appears frequently in architecture, urban planning, and daily conversation.

Examples

1. 昨夜的大雨导致老房子的屋顶出现了漏水，屋内积水严重，家具都被浸湿了。 Last night’s heavy rain caused the old house’s roof to leak; water collected inside, and the furniture was soaked.
2. 城市里越来越多的建筑将屋顶改造成花园或休闲区，为居民提供绿色空间。 In cities, more and more buildings are turning rooftops into gardens or leisure areas, providing green space for residents.
3. 消防员沿着梯子爬上屋顶，将被困在阁楼里的老人安全救了下来。 Firefighters climbed up to the roof along a ladder and safely rescued the elderly person trapped in the attic.

Usage Guide

Context: architecture, daily life, urban

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 物业公司接到投诉后，立即派人检查了整栋楼的屋顶防水层，发现多处存在老化破损的问题。(After receiving the complaint, the property management company immediately sent people to inspect the waterproofing layer of the entire building's roof, finding multiple areas of aged deterioration.)
• 这家餐厅设在大厦的屋顶上，四面通透，食客既能享用美食，又能俯瞰城市的全景。(This restaurant is situated on the rooftop of the building — open on all sides, diners can enjoy the food while overlooking a panoramic view of the city.)

Don't Say

• 屋顶 should not be confused with 天花板 (ceiling), which refers to the inner upper surface of a room — 屋顶 is always the external roof structure or accessible rooftop surface

Origin & History

屋 (room, building) + 顶 (top, apex)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal