A surrounding wall or enclosed courtyard.
A courtyard, yard, institute, college, hospital, or government office. A wall (阝) enclosing a complete (完) area or building.
院
Common Usage & Traps
- 医院 — hospital
- 电影院 — movie theater
- 学院 — college, academy
- 院子 — courtyard
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院生学生院 is not used alone to mean a student; use 学生 for student.
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大院院子大院 is not wrong but less common at HSK 1; 院子 is the standard word for courtyard.
How do I avoid confusing 院 with 完?
院 has the 阝 radical on the left, while 完 has 宀 on top.
Both characters share the right-side component 完, but their radicals are different. 院 uses 阝 (mound), indicating a place or building. 完 uses 宀 (roof), meaning to finish or complete. Remember: 院 is for places like 医院 (hospital), 完 is for finishing.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Radical | 阝 (mound) in 院 | 宀 (roof) in 完 |
| Meaning | courtyard, institution | to finish, complete |
| Example | 医院 (hospital) | 完成 (complete) |
Can I use 院 by itself to mean courtyard?
No, 院 is usually bound and needs a suffix like 子 to stand alone.
In modern Mandarin, 院 is not used alone as a free word for courtyard. Instead, use 院子 (yuànzi) for a courtyard. However, 院 appears in many compound nouns for institutions, such as 医院, 电影院, and 学院.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | 院子 (courtyard) | 院 (alone) |
| In compounds | 医院, 电影院 | 院 used alone for institution |
Appears in Stories 7 stories
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
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马家友生病了，在 医院 的三号房间住。
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马家友觉得是 医院 给的。
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谢医生对马家友说：“苹果不是 医院 给的。
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
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一天，胡之适邀请元真到他 研究院 的办公室去做客。
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胡之适一听他说，便立即给一位做 院长 的朋友写了封信，说：这是我的朋友元真。
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有一次他得了心脏病，住进 医院 。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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米爸爸在四川大学 医学院 工作。
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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休息两星期，七天住 医院 医生人很好，房间大漂亮。
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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这是 电影院 ！
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
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今天去了 电影院 。
Ever noticed how similar Chinese words can be? This rhyme plays with place names and homophones, from schools to hotels, even throwing in Samsung's origin. A lighthearted way to boost your word power.
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学院 有 院子 ， 影院 没 院子 ， 医院 是 院子 ？
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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