joeng4 lau2洋樓洋楼
Definition
Western-style residential building, typically multi-story, with modern layouts as opposed to traditional tenement houses.
How it's used
Originally used to distinguish modern, Western-style apartment buildings from traditional walk-up tenement buildings known as 唐樓. Over time, the term has become somewhat dated as almost all new residential developments in Hong Kong are high-rise buildings. Nowadays, it is mostly encountered in the names of older, single-block private residential buildings built between the 1960s and 1980s.
Measure word
tong4幢tònghExamples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English word mansion, which implies a large, luxurious private house. In Hong Kong, 洋樓 simply refers to a standard multi-story apartment building with modern amenities like elevators, rather than a grand estate.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
