<p>&quot;院中的北房是正房&quot; -</p>
<p>The ancient Chinese house of the rich usually consisted of three or four housing units, that form an upside-down &quot;U&quot; or &quot;口&quot;, with a courtyard in the center and the main entrance at the south end. The surrounding housing units were then named according to their azimuth (方位) in the setting - &quot;東廂房&quot;, &quot;西廂房&quot;, and &quot;上房/正房&quot;.</p>
<p>After the end of imperial China, people started to address those grand houses as &quot;大院 (big court)&quot;. So the sentence - &quot;(大)院中的北房是正房&quot; means the north sitting housing unit (北房) is the &quot;main housing unit (正房), and, as usual, it is larger than the other housing units (比<strong>其他房屋</strong>的规模大). In here, &quot;其他房屋&quot; means 東廂房(east housing unit) and 西廂房(west housing unit) collectively.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T13:11:32.590Z
2022-08-02T13:11:32.590Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p>大门一般开在东南角或西北角，院中的北房是正房，比其他房屋的规模大，一般包括长辈的卧室和具备日常起居、接待客人等功能的客厅。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.</p>
<p>What is the meaning of 房屋 here: 比其他房屋的规模大?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T10:09:48.637Z
I'm not sure what kind of answer you're after here; [房屋](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=房屋) = "house / building" can be found in dictionaries.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T12:13:26.757Z
I know, but it looks like, here it means something different, like room. That is why I am asking.
Konstantinos
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T13:48:26.463Z
You may be interested to know that 添房 does not mean "Extra / Additional Room(s)", but the gifts from relatives and friends of the bride's family.
Wayne Cheah
<meaning>
What is the meaning of 房屋 in 比其他房屋的规模大?
# What is the meaning of 房屋 in 比其他房屋的规模大?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-02)

> 大门一般开在东南角或西北角，院中的北房是正房，比其他房屋的规模大，一般包括长辈的卧室和具备日常起居、接待客人等功能的客厅。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.

What is the meaning of 房屋 here: 比其他房屋的规模大?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not sure what kind of answer you're after here; [房屋](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=房屋) = "house / building" can be found in dictionaries.  
> **username_0**: I know, but it looks like, here it means something different, like room. That is why I am asking.  
> **username_2**: You may be interested to know that 添房 does not mean "Extra / Additional Room(s)", but the gifts from relatives and friends of the bride's family.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-02. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

"院中的北房是正房" -

The ancient Chinese house of the rich usually consisted of three or four housing units, that form an upside-down "U" or "口", with a courtyard in the center and the main entrance at the south end. The surrounding housing units were then named according to their azimuth (方位) in the setting - "東廂房", "西廂房", and "上房/正房".

After the end of imperial China, people started to address those grand houses as "大院 (big court)". So the sentence - "(大)院中的北房是正房" means the north sitting housing unit (北房) is the "main housing unit (正房), and, as usual, it is larger than the other housing units (比**其他房屋**的规模大). In here, "其他房屋" means 東廂房(east housing unit) and 西廂房(west housing unit) collectively.


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