舞厅

• Pinyin: wǔ tīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 舞 = 無 + 舛 (the character for dance showing feet moving in opposite directions — dancing, to dance); 厅 = 厂 + 丁 (building/cliff + person/nail — hall, reception room)

Meaning

A dance hall or ballroom; a venue designed or used for social dancing, ballroom dancing, or entertainment dancing.

In China, 舞厅 often refers to ballroom-style venues that were particularly popular in urban areas from the 1980s through the 2000s. Distinct from 夜店 (nightclub) and 迪厅 (disco). Associated with an older generation's social dancing culture. Ballroom dancing remains popular among middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

Examples

1. 广场舞的兴起使传统舞厅在某种程度上逐渐失去了往日的吸引力。 The rise of public square dancing has, to some extent, gradually made traditional dance halls less appealing than they once were.
2. 这家豪华酒店的舞厅每逢节假日都会举办正式的交谊舞晚会，吸引众多舞蹈爱好者。 This luxury hotel’s ballroom hosts formal social dance evenings on holidays, attracting many dance enthusiasts.
3. 他们在一家简陋的小舞厅相识，从此开始了长达五十年的相濡以沫。 They met in a simple little dance hall, and from then on began a devoted partnership that lasted fifty years.

Usage Guide

Context: leisure, social life, hospitality, urban culture, nostalgia

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 改革开放初期，城市舞厅是重要社交场所，年轻人常在这里跳交谊舞，结识朋友或寻找伴侣。(In the early years of reform and opening up, city dance halls were important social places, where young people often danced ballroom dances, made friends, or looked for partners.)
• 这部小说以三十年代上海为背景，许多情节发生在百乐门舞厅，展现了上流社会的奢华与暗涌。(Set in 1930s Shanghai, this novel has many scenes in the Paramount dance hall, showing the luxury and hidden tensions of high society.)

Don't Say

• 舞厅 for a modern nightclub or disco — use 夜店 or 迪厅; 舞厅 specifically refers to a ballroom or traditional dance-hall venue focused on social dancing, not a club centred on DJ music and alcohol

Origin & History

舞 (dance) + 厅 (hall, reception room) — a hall for dancing

Cultural Context

Era: 20th century, especially 1980s–2000s

Generation: Older adults

Social background: Universal