<p>房 usually refers to a room in a house<br />
屋 usually refers to a house<br />
A house may have one or more rooms.<br />
A room must be in a house.</p>
<p>Therefore, ‘小明在房裡’; he is in one of the rooms (of <code>this house</code>), so he must be in <code>this house</code>!<br />
However, ‘小明在屋裡’; he may be in the living room, not in the bedroom. Therefore, he might <em>NOT</em> in the room.</p>
<p>In Chinese, the living-&quot;room&quot; is a public place and is not considered a private &quot;room&quot;(房).<br />
Generally speaking, a place with a door that can block others can be called a 房.</p>
<p><code>古者宮室之制，前堂後室。前堂之兩頭有夾室，後室之兩旁有東西房</code><br />
Ancient style, front hall堂 , back room室.<br />
There are mezzanine rooms夾室 at both ends of the front hall<br />
There are east and west rooms房 on both sides of the back room後室.</p>
<p>But, even rest-&quot;room&quot; has a door,and very private... but it's too small to sleep inside, so it's <em>NOT</em> a room(房), again. :D</p>
<p>Actually, rest-&quot;room&quot; is named 洗手<code>間</code>, small then a <code>房</code>.</p>
<p>Like cloak-&quot;room&quot;, it's a small place where cloaks, cloths and quilts are put together, not for sleeping, it's call 衣帽&quot;間&quot;, not 房.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This may be completely reversed.</p>
<p>--</p>
<ul>
<li>If you are standing outside the house, and saw 小明 is standing in the living-room from window. You'll say <code>小明在屋裡</code>.<br />
BUT! <code>小明在房裡</code> is incorrect here. Because he is NOT in any one of room.</li>
<li>If you are standing outside the house, and saw 小明 is sleeping in the bedroom from window. You'll say <code>小明在房裡</code>.<br />
<code>小明在屋裡</code> is correct too!  Because a room is a part of this house.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-03T03:20:05.817Z
2024-12-17T02:53:47.523Z
2024-12-17T02:53:47.523Z
James
<p>房子 is not equal to 房间。</p>
<p>房子指整个建筑(比如某一户人家居住的地方)，房间是某一个人住的地方(比如某人的卧室)。</p>
<p>Example：那栋房子有3个屋 is not equal to 那栋房子有3个房间。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-07T09:13:46.647Z
2024-12-07T09:13:46.647Z
Tom
<p>This is not a good question as 房 and 屋 (I should say most of Chinese characters) should not be talked individually in modern Chinese. Modern Chinese is word-based, not character-based. If you see characters alone, the context is very important.</p>
<p>In addition to that, I can always find counter examples of what you said:</p>
<ul>
<li>两房一卫：2 bedroom and 2 bathroom</li>
<li>屋脊：ridge of a house</li>
<li>屋舍：house</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-20T20:35:53.913Z
2024-12-20T20:35:53.913Z
River
<blockquote>
<p>‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, it is incorrect. See examples below.</p>
<p>Exterior building components:</p>
<ul>
<li>屋頂 = 房頂; 屋簷 = 房簷; 屋基 = 房基</li>
</ul>
<p>Interior building components:</p>
<ul>
<li>屋樑 = 房樑; 屋柱 = 房柱</li>
</ul>
<p>Buildings as a whole:</p>
<ul>
<li>屋子 = 房子; 屋宇 = 房舍</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-01T02:51:09.707Z
2024-12-01T03:25:30.077Z
2024-12-01T03:25:30.077Z
r13
<p>In Chinese, the words ‘房’ and ‘屋’ are synonyms. For example, the Chinese sentence ‘小明在房里’ should be equal to ‘小明在屋里’. However, the sentence: ‘快看，那有一间房’ is not equal to ‘快看，那里有一间屋’. My understanding is that the Chinese character ‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole. I am not sure if my understanding is correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-30T11:46:43.637Z
屋 the entire house; 房 the entire house or a room, as in 房間.
joehua
<meaning><difference><word>
Is the understanding of the Chinese characters ‘房’ and ‘屋’ correct?
# Is the understanding of the Chinese characters ‘房’ and ‘屋’ correct?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-30)

In Chinese, the words ‘房’ and ‘屋’ are synonyms. For example, the Chinese sentence ‘小明在房里’ should be equal to ‘小明在屋里’. However, the sentence: ‘快看，那有一间房’ is not equal to ‘快看，那里有一间屋’. My understanding is that the Chinese character ‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole. I am not sure if my understanding is correct.

**Tags:** meaning, difference, word
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 屋 the entire house; 房 the entire house or a room, as in 房間.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-12-03. Score: 1

房 usually refers to a room in a house  
屋 usually refers to a house  
A house may have one or more rooms.  
A room must be in a house.

Therefore, ‘小明在房裡’; he is in one of the rooms (of `this house`), so he must be in `this house`!  
However, ‘小明在屋裡’; he may be in the living room, not in the bedroom. Therefore, he might *NOT* in the room.

In Chinese, the living-"room" is a public place and is not considered a private "room"(房).  
Generally speaking, a place with a door that can block others can be called a 房.

`古者宮室之制，前堂後室。前堂之兩頭有夾室，後室之兩旁有東西房`  
Ancient style, front hall堂 , back room室.  
There are mezzanine rooms夾室 at both ends of the front hall  
There are east and west rooms房 on both sides of the back room後室.

But, even rest-"room" has a door,and very private... but it's too small to sleep inside, so it's *NOT* a room(房), again. :D

Actually, rest-"room" is named 洗手`間`, small then a `房`.

Like cloak-"room", it's a small place where cloaks, cloths and quilts are put together, not for sleeping, it's call 衣帽"間", not 房.

> ‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole

This may be completely reversed.

--

* If you are standing outside the house, and saw 小明 is standing in the living-room from window. You'll say `小明在屋裡`.  
  BUT! `小明在房裡` is incorrect here. Because he is NOT in any one of room.
* If you are standing outside the house, and saw 小明 is sleeping in the bedroom from window. You'll say `小明在房裡`.  
  `小明在屋裡` is correct too! Because a room is a part of this house.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-12-07. Score: 0

房子 is not equal to 房间。

房子指整个建筑(比如某一户人家居住的地方)，房间是某一个人住的地方(比如某人的卧室)。

Example：那栋房子有3个屋 is not equal to 那栋房子有3个房间。


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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-12-20. Score: 0

This is not a good question as 房 and 屋 (I should say most of Chinese characters) should not be talked individually in modern Chinese. Modern Chinese is word-based, not character-based. If you see characters alone, the context is very important.

In addition to that, I can always find counter examples of what you said:

* 两房一卫：2 bedroom and 2 bathroom
* 屋脊：ridge of a house
* 屋舍：house


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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-12-01. Score: 0

> ‘屋’ is mainly used for the interior of a building, while the Chinese character ‘房’ is mainly used for the exterior of a building as a whole.

No, it is incorrect. See examples below.

Exterior building components:

* 屋頂 = 房頂; 屋簷 = 房簷; 屋基 = 房基

Interior building components:

* 屋樑 = 房樑; 屋柱 = 房柱

Buildings as a whole:

* 屋子 = 房子; 屋宇 = 房舍


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