surname Lou

JLPT N5 13 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character (lóu) primarily refers to a building, especially one with multiple floors. It is commonly used to describe structures like office buildings, apartment complexes, or any multi-story construction. Additionally, is a Chinese surname, though this usage is less frequent in daily conversation.

Common Contexts

  • When talking about buildings, often appears with numbers indicating floors, e.g., (ten-story building).
  • It can also be used in directions or locations, such as (upstairs) and (downstairs).
  • As a surname, is used like any other family name and appears in introductions or formal contexts.

Collocations and Patterns

  • / : upstairs / downstairs, used to specify location within a building.
  • : multi-story building, emphasizing the number of floors.
  • : building or house, often a residential building.

Usage Notes

When using to refer to floors, it is common to combine it with numbers and the word (céng) to specify the exact floor, e.g., (third floor). Avoid confusing with alone; often implies a building or a floor within a building, while strictly means 'floor' or 'layer.' As a surname, is pronounced the same but context will clarify its use.

Common Confusion

can be confused with (dòng), which also means building but is used more for counting buildings rather than floors. For example, means 'one building,' while means 'third floor.'

Example Sentences

This building has ten floors, and each floor has offices.

His surname is Lou; he is a new colleague at our company.

Please wait for me downstairs; I will come down soon.