<p><a href="https://www.zhihu.com/question/24247987" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This 知乎 thread</a> sheds some light on the question.</p>
<p>大杂院 is a single word and you don't split it as &quot;a big 杂院&quot;. 大 refers to its scale, housing multiple or even tens of families in one courtyard. 杂 (mixed, mingled) refers to its residents who aren't a single, large family and sometimes are even unrelated families, like modern residential areas. This is emphasized in comparison to traditional 四合院 where only one family resides.</p>

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2022-08-25T07:43:44.653Z
2022-08-25T07:43:44.653Z
iBug
<p>但也有多户合住一座四合院的情况，被称为“大杂院”，住户多为普通劳动人民。</p>
<p>I found this in the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.</p>
<p>What is the meaning of 杂院? According to dictionaries (character by character), it means &quot;mixed courtyard&quot;, but I don't know, it does not make much sense.</p>

<meaning><meaning-in-context>
What is the meaning of 杂院?
# What is the meaning of 杂院?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-25)

但也有多户合住一座四合院的情况，被称为“大杂院”，住户多为普通劳动人民。

I found this in the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.

What is the meaning of 杂院? According to dictionaries (character by character), it means "mixed courtyard", but I don't know, it does not make much sense.

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-25. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

[This 知乎 thread](https://www.zhihu.com/question/24247987) sheds some light on the question.

大杂院 is a single word and you don't split it as "a big 杂院". 大 refers to its scale, housing multiple or even tens of families in one courtyard. 杂 (mixed, mingled) refers to its residents who aren't a single, large family and sometimes are even unrelated families, like modern residential areas. This is emphasized in comparison to traditional 四合院 where only one family resides.


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