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厦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
厦xiàtall buildingns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàmansionns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàrear annexns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàlean-tons, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàalso pr. [xià]ns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàlarge building; mansionns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàalso pr. [xia4]unknown, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàabbr. for Xiamen or Amoy 廈門ns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàFujianns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦xiàabbr. for Xiamen or Amoy 廈門|厦门[Xia4 men2], Fujianunknown, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàtall buildingns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàmansionns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàrear annexns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàlean-tons, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàalso pr. [xià]ns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàlarge building; mansionns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàalso pr. [xia4]unknown, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàabbr. for Xiamen or Amoy 廈門ns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàFujianns, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
厦shàabbr. for Xiamen or Amoy 廈門|厦门[Xia4 men2], Fujianunknown, 12 strokes, radical 厂, rank #55938, Very Hard
shà(sha4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1tall building
  2. 2mansion
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

厦(廈)shà(sha4)

The character 厦 (shà) primarily refers to a tall building or mansion. It is often used in the context of modern architecture and can also be an abbreviation for Xiamen (厦门), a coastal city in Fujian province. In various contexts, it denotes structures that are significant in size or importance.

Strokes12Radical厂Frequency#55938DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

厦 (shà) connects to Chinese urban culture, especially in coastal cities where modern architecture contrasts with traditional structures. Xiamen, abbreviated as 厦门, is known for its unique blend of colonial architecture and modern high-rises, reflecting historical influences.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tall building (厦) soaring into the sky. The left side of the character resembles a roof, symbolizing shelter, while the right side can remind you of a tall structure. Picture a shā (shà) of clouds above a skyscraper to help recall its pronunciation.

Meanings of 厦

shà(sha4)
primary
1tall building
2mansion
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 厦

厦Simplified
廈Traditional
12Strokes
厂Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#55938Frequency Rank

Podcast: 厦

JasonAmy

Podcast: 厦

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 厦

Usage Notes

A common mistake is confusing the pronunciation with 'xià,' which refers to downward movement. 厦 is typically used in formal contexts, such as architecture or geography, and is often found in discussions about urban development. Pay attention to the tone to avoid mixing it up with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 厦 is not included in the standard HSK levels, understanding this character can enhance your vocabulary related to buildings and cities. Focus on recognizing its usage in place names and combining it with other relevant characters like 大 (dà) for 'big' or 高 (gāo) for 'tall.'

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 厦 as 'xià' instead of the correct 'shà' when referring to buildings. Another mistake is using it interchangeably with related words for smaller structures, such as 房子 (fángzi) for 'house.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 厦

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Etymology of 厦

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 厂 represents the meaning and 夏 represents the sound. Simplified form of 廈.

Memory Hint

building

Semantic (meaning)厂
+
Phonetic (sound)夏
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 厦

Phonosemantic compound. 厂 represents the meaning and 夏 represents the sound. Simplified form of 廈.

  1. 1The meaning half厂 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夏 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybuilding
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 厦? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 厦?

Decomposition of 厦

IDS Structure⿸厂夏
厦Full Character
=
厂chang3
enclosing
夏Xia4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 厦?

How to say tall building in Chinese

“tall building” in Chinese is厦xià

The character 厦 (shà) primarily refers to a tall building or mansion. It is often used in the context of modern architecture and can also be an abbreviation for Xiamen (厦门), a coastal city in Fujian province. In various contexts, it denotes structures that are significant in size or importance.

When to use 厦

A common mistake is confusing the pronunciation with 'xià,' which refers to downward movement. 厦 is typically used in formal contexts, such as architecture or geography, and is often found in discussions about urban development. Pay attention to the tone to avoid mixing it up with other similar-sounding words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 厦 as 'xià' instead of the correct 'shà' when referring to buildings. Another mistake is using it interchangeably with related words for smaller structures, such as 房子 (fángzi) for 'house.'

Write 厦

厦

Practice writing 厦 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 厦

厦 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

谁让你进入这大____的?

Who let you into the building?

Example Sentences for 厦 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
谁让你进入这大厦的?

shuí ràng nǐ jìn rù zhè dà shà de?

Who let you into the building?
2
小湾对岸,沿着河边,东卵豪华住宅区的洁白的宫殿式的大厦闪烁着光彩.

xiǎo wān duì àn, , yán zháo hé, biān , dōng luǎn háo huá zhù zhái qū de jié bái de gōng diàn shì de dà shà shǎn shuò zháo.

Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water.
3
世界贸易中心(大厦)有多高? altitude指“高于地面或海面的高度”尤指“超过海面的高度”,复数指“高地”、 “ 高处”,

shì jiè mào yì zhōng xīn( ( dà) shà ) yǒu?altitude duō“ gāo ? altitude zhǐ “ gāo yú dì miàn huò hǎi” miàn de“ gāo dù ” yóu zhǐ “ chāo”, guò hǎi miàn“ de gāo”、“ dù ”,”,

What's the height of the World Trade Center?
4
他们认为他们的新大厦品位独特，可作为典范。

tā mén rèn wéi tā mén de xīn dà shà pǐn wèi dú tè， ， kě zuò wéi diǎn。

They viewed their new building as an exemplar of taste.
5
接下来的一小时内, 南塔和五角大厦也相继遭撞击.

jiē xià lái de yī xiǎo shí nèi, , nán tǎ hé wǔ jiǎo dà shà yě xiāng jì zāo zhuàng.

Within an hour, the South Tower and the Pentagon were also hit.
6
啊, 那些高楼大厦 、 华灯 、 香水 、 藏金收银的闺房还有摆满山珍海味的餐桌!

ā, , nà xiē gāo lóu dà、 shà 、、 huá dēng、 、 xiāng shuǐ 、 cáng jīn shōu yín de guī fáng huán yǒu bǎi mǎn shān zhēn hǎi!

Oh, the mansions, the lights , the perfume, the loaded boudoirs and tables!
7
这些旧房子在新建的高楼大厦的映衬下显得十分矮小。

zhè xiē jiù fáng zǐ zài xīn jiàn de gāo lóu dà shà de yìng chèn xià xiǎn dé shí fēn ǎi xiǎo。

The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks.
8
这家公司赢得了一份极为重要的合同，参与建设欧洲最高的大厦。

zhè jiā gōng sī yíng dé le yī fèn jí wéi zhòng yào de hé tóng， ， cān yǔ jiàn shè ōu zhōu zuì gāo de dà。

The company won a prestigious contract for work on Europe's tallest building.
9
从这儿可以看到议会大厦和大笨钟.

cóng zhè ér kě yǐ kàn dào yì huì dà shà hé dà bèn zhōng.

You can see the house of parliament and big Ben from here.
10
帕森斯夸口说,单是胜利大厦,挂出的旗子就有四百米那么长.

pà sēn sī kuā kǒu shuō, , dān shì shèng lì dà, shà , guà chū de qí zǐ jiù yǒu sì bǎi mǐ nà.

Parsons boasted that Victory Mansions alone would display four hundred metres of bunting.
Exercise 1 of 1

Reorder the Sentence

Who let you into the building?

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Word Family of 厦

Words Containing This Character10
大厦dàshà(used in the names of grand buildings such as 百老匯大廈|百老汇大厦 Broadway Mansions (in Shanghai) or 帝國大廈|帝国大厦 Empire State Building etc)大廈
厦门Xiamen or Amoy, subprovincial city in Fujian, abbr. 廈|厦[Xià]廈門
厦shàmansion廈
厦门市also known as Amoy廈門市
高楼大厦tall building高樓大廈
厦门大学Xiamen University廈門大學
摩天大厦skyscraper摩天大廈
金茂大厦Jin Mao Tower, skyscraper in Shanghai金茂大廈
大厦将倾great mansion on the verge of collapse (idiom); hopeless situation大廈將傾
噶厦government of Tibet, dissolved in 1959噶廈
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 大厦 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 厦

In the context of Xiamen, 厦 is an abbreviation for 厦门, which means 'door of the mansion,' referring to the city's significance as a gateway to trade.

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