<p>In terms of meaning, 建筑 is the sweeping term for all kinds of buildings. But its tone is too formal or technical for daily usage.</p>

<p>In daily usage you could just use the counter word and omit the actual noun like your example in 那一棟/家/間. Or you can use 楼 for buildings more than one story of 房子 for one story buildings. But like I said those are as sweeping as you could get in Chinese if you insist using a noun here.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-19T06:32:27.190Z
2015-02-19T06:32:27.190Z
user1228520
<p>In English, we have the generic word 'building': as in "That building across from the book store". Here the speaker does not know or does not care to state the kind of building it is.</p>

<p>Is there an equivalent generic noun in Taiwan Mandarin? I feel that people will say something like: "書店對面的那一棟/家/間".</p>

<p>Dictionary gives 建筑, but this seems uncommon to me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-19T04:34:16.020Z
Iciba has ９ sample sentences， ３ with 大楼，
also 这座楼，那栋建筑， the building，楼房，建筑物，
砖砌建筑 brick building，建筑公司 building company，
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-19T05:28:38.640Z
建筑 is pretty common.
NS.X.
<taiwan>
Generic word for a building
# Generic word for a building

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-19)

In English, we have the generic word 'building': as in "That building across from the book store". Here the speaker does not know or does not care to state the kind of building it is.

Is there an equivalent generic noun in Taiwan Mandarin? I feel that people will say something like: "書店對面的那一棟/家/間".

Dictionary gives 建筑, but this seems uncommon to me.

**Tags:** taiwan

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Iciba has ９ sample sentences， ３ with 大楼， also 这座楼，那栋建筑， the building，楼房，建筑物， 砖砌建筑 brick building，建筑公司 building company，  
> **username_2**: 建筑 is pretty common.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

In terms of meaning, 建筑 is the sweeping term for all kinds of buildings. But its tone is too formal or technical for daily usage.

In daily usage you could just use the counter word and omit the actual noun like your example in 那一棟/家/間. Or you can use 楼 for buildings more than one story of 房子 for one story buildings. But like I said those are as sweeping as you could get in Chinese if you insist using a noun here.


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