# 樓

| 樓 | U+6A13, &#27155; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6A13 |
| ← 樒 [U+6A12] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 樔 → [U+6A14] |
| 樓 | U+F94C, &#63820; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F94C |
| ← 屢 [U+F94B] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 淚 → [U+F94D] |

## Translingual

| Japanese | 楼 |
| Simplified | 楼 |
| Traditional | 樓 |

### Han character

樓 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+11, 15 strokes, cangjie input 木中田女 (DLWV) or 木中中女 (DLLV), four-corner 4594$_4$, composition ⿰木婁)

#### Derived characters

* 𭋶, 𮓍

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 549, character 31
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15430
* Dae Jaweon: page 937, character 24
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1279, character 4
* Unihan data for U+6A13
* Unihan data for U+F94C

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

| | Old Chinese |
| 樓 | *ɡ·roː |
| 摟 | *roː, *ro |
| 耬 | *roː |
| 僂 | *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·roːs, *ɡ·roʔ |
| 婁 | *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·ro |
| 螻 | *roː |
| 髏 | *roː |
| 蔞 | *roː, *ro, *roʔ |
| 鞻 | *roː |
| 艛 | *ɡ·roː |
| 膢 | *roː, *ro |
| 廔 | *roː |
| 嘍 | *roː, *roːʔ |
| 瞜 | *roː, *ro |
| 簍 | *roː, *roːʔ, *roʔ |
| 慺 | *roː, *ro, *roʔ |
| 鷜 | *roː, *ro |
| 褸 | *roː, *roʔ |
| 遱 | *roː |
| 謱 | *roː, *roːʔ, *roʔ |
| 嶁 | *roːʔ, *roʔ |
| 甊 | *roːʔ |
| 塿 | *roːʔ |
| 漊 | *roːʔ, *roʔ |
| 鏤 | *roːs, *ro |
| 瘻 | *roːs, *ro |
| 擻 | *sloːʔ |
| 藪 | *sloːʔ |
| 籔 | *sloːʔ, *sroʔ |
| 氀 | *ro |
| 縷 | *roʔ |
| 屢 | *ros |
| 數 | *sroʔ, *sros, *sroːɡ |
| 屨 | *klos |
| 窶 | *ɡloʔ |
| 貗 | *ɡloʔ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡ·roː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 婁 (OC *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·ro).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): lóu (lou$^2$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄌㄡˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nou$^2$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): lóu
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): лу (lu, I)
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lau$^4$ / lau$^{4-2}$
    (Dongguan, Jyutping++): ngaau$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): leu$^3$ / leu$^{3*}$
* Gan (Wiktionary): leu$^4$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): lèu
    (Hailu, HRS): leu
    (Meixian, Guangdong): lêu$^2$
* Jin (Wiktionary): lou$^1$
* Northern Min (KCR): lê
* Eastern Min (BUC): làu / lèu
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): lao$^2$ / lieo$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lâu / lô͘ / liô
    (Teochew, Peng'im): lao$^5$
    (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): lao$^5$ / leu$^5$
* Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): lau$^4$
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^6$leu / $^2$leu / $^2$loe / $^2$lei / $^2$le
** (Jinhua): $^2$lieu
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lou$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: lóu
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄡˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: lóu
*** Wade–Giles: lou$^2$
*** Yale: lóu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lou
*** Palladius: лоу (lou)
*** Sinological IPA : /loʊ̯³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: nou$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lou
*** Sinological IPA : /nəu²¹/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: lóu
*** Sinological IPA : /lɤu²⁴/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: лу (lu, I)
*** Sinological IPA : /lou²⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lau$^4$ / lau$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: làuh / láu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lau$^4$ / lau$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: leo$^4$ / leo$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /lɐu̯²¹/, /lɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/
** (Dongguan, Guancheng)
*** Jyutping++: ngaau$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /ŋau²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: leu$^3$ / leu$^{3*}$
*** Sinological IPA : /leu²²/, /leu²²⁻²²⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: leu$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /lɛu³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lèu
*** Hakka Romanization System: leu$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: leu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /leu̯¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: leu
*** Sinological IPA: /leu⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: lêu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /leu¹¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: lou$^1$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /ləu¹¹/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lê
*** Sinological IPA : /le³³/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: làu / lèu
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃au⁵³/, /l̃ɛu⁵³/
* làu - vernacular;
* lèu - literary.
* Middle Chinese: luw
Rime :
| Character | 樓 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 侯 (137) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 落侯切 |
| Baxter | luw |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ləu/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ləu/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ləu/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ləw/ |
| Li Rong | /lu/ |
| Wang Li | /ləu/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /lə̯u/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | lóu |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | lau$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Zhengzhang): /*ɡ·roː/
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 樓 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 8453 |
| Phonetic component | 婁 |
| Rime group | 侯 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 樓 |
| Old Chinese | /*ɡ·roː/ |

### Definitions

樓
* building (of two or more stories) (Classifier: 棟／栋 m c; 幢 m; 躉／趸 c; 間／间 c)
    教學樓／教学楼 ― jiàoxuélóu ― classroom building
    From: 1046, Fan Zhongyan, 岳陽樓記
    Dēng sī lóu yě, zé yǒu xīnkuàngshényí, chǒngrǔ jiē wàng, bǎjiǔ línfēng, qí xǐyángyáng zhě yǐ. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
* floor; level (Classifier: 層／层)
       Nàge fángzi yǒu sān céng lóu. [Pinyin]
       That house has three floors.
       ngo$^5$ zyu$^6$ hai$^2$ ji$^6$ lau$^{4-2}$. [Jyutping]
       I live on the second floor.
* (Hong Kong) flat; apartment (Classifier: 層／层 c)
    賣咗層樓／卖咗层楼 [Cantonese] ― maai$^6$ zo$^2$ cang$^4$ lau$^{4-2}$ [Jyutping] ― to have sold one's flat
* superstructure
    城樓／城楼 ― chénglóu ― city gate tower
    角樓／角楼 ― jiǎolóu ― corner tower (in Chinese architecture)
* Used in the name of some businesses
    銀樓／银楼 ― yínlóu ― jeweller’s shop
    酒樓／酒楼 [Cantonese] ― zau$^2$ lau$^4$ [Jyutping] ― Chinese restaurant
    青樓／青楼 ― qīnglóu ― brothel
* (Internet slang) comment; post
    9樓／9楼 ― 9 lóu ― comment #9
    樓主／楼主 ― lóuzhǔ ― OP
    蓋樓／盖楼 ― gàilóu ― to reply to a thread
    借樓問一下／借楼问一下 ― jièlóu wèn yīxià ― post a question
* a surname

#### Usage notes

(Hong Kong) It may be ambiguous when referring to floors, as both UK and US systems were used in the past. Contemporary usage generally aligns with the UK usage.
* 一樓／一楼 [Cantonese] ― jat$^1$ lau$^{4-2}$ [Jyutping] ― first floor (UK), equivalent to US second floor
* 一樓／一楼 [Cantonese] ― jat$^1$ lau$^{4-2}$ [Jyutping] ― first floor (US), equivalent to UK ground floor
The second usage is dated, but still commonly seen in older buildings.
To avoid this ambiguity, some may explicitly refer to floor numbers with Arabic numerals, such as:
    １字樓／１字楼 [Cantonese] ― jat$^1$ zi$^6$ lau$^{4-2}$ [Jyutping] ― the floor numbered as 1, i.e. first floor (UK)
This similarly applies to subsequent floors.

#### Synonyms

* (floor): 層／层 (céng) (more formal), 樓層／楼层 (lóucéng)
* (apartment): (Mainland China, Taiwan) 房 (fáng)

### Compounds

* 下樓 / 下楼 (xiàlóu)
* 上樓 / 上楼 (shànglóu)
* 中樓 / 中楼 (Zhōnglóu)
* 亭臺樓閣 / 亭台楼阁 (tíngtáilóugé)
* 人去樓空 / 人去楼空
* 北固樓 / 北固楼
* 十二樓 / 十二楼
* 南樓詠謔 / 南楼咏谑
* 危樓 / 危楼 (wēilóu)
* 古樓 / 古楼 (Gǔlóu)
* 吊樓 / 吊楼
* 吳樓 / 吴楼 (Wúlóu)
* 周樓 / 周楼 (Zhōulóu)
* 城樓 / 城楼 (chénglóu)
* 墜樓 / 坠楼 (zhuìlóu)
* 大樓 / 大楼 (dàlóu)
* 妝樓 / 妆楼
* 孟樓 / 孟楼 (Mènglóu)
* 寫字樓 / 写字楼 (xiězìlóu)
* 寶釵樓 / 宝钗楼
* 寸木岑樓 / 寸木岑楼
* 居民樓 / 居民楼
* 層樓 / 层楼
* 山樓 / 山楼
* 岑樓 / 岑楼
* 岑樓齊末 / 岑楼齐末
* 岳陽樓 / 岳阳楼 (Yuèyánglóu)
* 崗樓 / 岗楼 (gǎnglóu)
* 平地樓臺 / 平地楼台
* 彩樓配 / 彩楼配
* 徐樓 / 徐楼 (Xúlóu)
* 戍樓 / 戍楼
* 拜經樓 / 拜经楼
* 摩天大樓 / 摩天大楼 (mótiān dàlóu)
* 摩天樓 / 摩天楼 (mótiānlóu)
* 摘星樓 / 摘星楼
* 敵樓 / 敌楼 (dílóu)
* 施樓 / 施楼 (Shīlóu)
* 明樓 / 明楼
* 明遠樓 / 明远楼
* 暗樓子 / 暗楼子 (ànlóuzi)
* 更上一層樓 / 更上一层楼 (gèngshàngyīcénglóu)
* 更上層樓 / 更上层楼
* 更樓 / 更楼
* 望樓 / 望楼 (wànglóu)
* 望樓車 / 望楼车
* 朱閣青樓 / 朱阁青楼
* 李樓 / 李楼 (Lǐlóu)
* 東門樓 / 东门楼 (Dōngménlóu)
* 栝樓 / 栝楼 (guālóu)
* 楚館秦樓 / 楚馆秦楼
* 樓上 / 楼上 (lóushàng)
* 樓下 / 楼下 (lóuxià)
* 樓中樓 / 楼中楼
* 樓子 / 楼子
* 樓子灣 / 楼子湾 (Lóuziwān)
* 樓宇 / 楼宇 (lóuyǔ)
* 樓層 / 楼层 (lóucéng)
* 樓底下 / 楼底下 (lóudǐxià)
* 樓庫 / 楼库
* 樓房 / 楼房 (lóufáng)
* 樓板 / 楼板 (lóubǎn)
* 樓梯 / 楼梯 (lóutī)
* 樊樓 / 樊楼
* 樓櫓 / 楼橹
* 樓窗 / 楼窗 (lóuchuāng)
* 樓羅 / 楼罗
* 樓臺 / 楼台 (lóutái)
* 樓臺亭閣 / 楼台亭阁
* 樓臺會 / 楼台会
* 樓船 / 楼船 (lóuchuán)
* 樓蘭 / 楼兰 (Lóulán)
* 樓蘭晉簡 / 楼兰晋简
* 樓車 / 楼车
* 樓道 / 楼道 (lóudào)
* 樓閣 / 楼阁 (lóugé)
* 樓閣亭臺 / 楼阁亭台
* 樓頂 / 楼顶 (lóudǐng)
* 樵樓 / 樵楼
* 歌樓舞館 / 歌楼舞馆
* 氣樓 / 气楼 (qìlóu)
* 江樓 / 江楼
* 洋樓 / 洋楼 (yánglóu)
* 海市蜃樓 / 海市蜃楼 (hǎishìshènlóu)
* 海樓 / 海楼
* 炮樓 / 炮楼 (pàolóu)
* 煙雨樓 / 烟雨楼
* 燕子樓 / 燕子楼
* 牌樓 / 牌楼 (páilóu)
* 玉樓 / 玉楼 (yùlóu)
* 玉樓春 / 玉楼春
* 玉樓赴召 / 玉楼赴召
* 玉樓金殿 / 玉楼金殿
* 玉樓金閣 / 玉楼金阁
* 玉樓金闕 / 玉楼金阙
* 瓊樓玉宇 / 琼楼玉宇 (qiónglóuyùyǔ)
* 瓊瑤樓閣 / 琼瑶楼阁
* 畫樓 / 画楼
* 畫閣朱樓 / 画阁朱楼
* 登樓 / 登楼
* 登樓望闕 / 登楼望阙
* 白玉樓 / 白玉楼 (báiyùlóu)
* 白門樓 / 白门楼
* 皕宋樓 / 皕宋楼 (Bìsònglóu)
* 碉樓 / 碉楼 (diāolóu)
* 萬丈高樓平地起 / 万丈高楼平地起 (wànzhàng gāolóu píngdì qǐ)
* 秦樓 / 秦楼
* 秦樓楚館 / 秦楼楚馆
* 秦樓謝館 / 秦楼谢馆
* 空中樓閣 / 空中楼阁 (kōngzhōnglóugé)
* 箭樓 / 箭楼
* 粉妝樓 / 粉妆楼
* 紅樓 / 红楼
* 紅樓夢 / 红楼梦 (Hónglóumèng)
* 紅粉青樓 / 红粉青楼
* 綵樓 / 彩楼
* 綵牌樓 / 彩牌楼
* 翠樓 / 翠楼
* 背山起樓 / 背山起楼
* 舞榭歌樓 / 舞榭歌楼
* 船樓 / 船楼
* 花樓 / 花楼 (Huālóu)
* 花粉樓 / 花粉楼
* 茶樓 / 茶楼 (chálóu)
* 莒光樓 / 莒光楼
* 著腳書樓 / 著脚书楼
* 蜃樓 / 蜃楼 (shènlóu)
* 蜃樓海市 / 蜃楼海市
* 角樓 / 角楼 (jiǎolóu)
* 譙樓 / 谯楼 (qiáolóu)
* 赤崁樓 / 赤崁楼
* 赤嵌樓 / 赤嵌楼
* 跑樓 / 跑楼
* 近水樓臺 / 近水楼台 (jìnshuǐlóutái)
* 迷樓 / 迷楼
* 過街樓 / 过街楼
* 邵家樓 / 邵家楼 (Shàojiālóu)
* 酒樓 / 酒楼 (jiǔlóu)
* 重樓 / 重楼 (chónglóu)
* 金樓子 / 金楼子
* 金粉樓臺 / 金粉楼台
* 金谷墮樓 / 金谷堕楼
* 銀樓 / 银楼 (yínlóu)
* 鐘樓 / 钟楼 (zhōnglóu)
* 門樓 / 门楼 (ménlóu)
* 門樓子 / 门楼子
* 閣樓 / 阁楼 (gélóu)
* 陳家樓 / 陈家楼 (Chénjiālóu)
* 陳策樓 / 陈策楼 (Chéncèlóu)
* 離樓 / 离楼
* 青樓 / 青楼 (qīnglóu)
* 頂樓 / 顶楼 (dǐnglóu)
* 駱樓 / 骆楼 (Luòlóu)
* 騎樓 / 骑楼 (qílóu)
* 驛樓 / 驿楼
* 高樓大廈 / 高楼大厦 (gāolóudàshà)
* 鳳去樓空 / 凤去楼空
* 鳳去秦樓 / 凤去秦楼
* 鳳閣龍樓 / 凤阁龙楼
* 鴛鴦樓 / 鸳鸯楼
* 鴿樓 / 鸽楼
* 鸛雀樓 / 鹳雀楼
* 黃樓 / 黄楼
* 黃鶴樓 / 黄鹤楼 (Huánghèlóu)
* 鼓樓 / 鼓楼 (gǔlóu)
* 龍樓 / 龙楼

### Descendants

* → Thai: เหลา (lǎo, “restaurant”)
* → Vietnamese: lầu

### References

* “樓”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* “樓”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 楼 |
| Kyūjitai | 樓 |

### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 楼)
* tower
* turret

#### Readings

* Go-on: る (ru)
* Kan-on: ろう (rō)
* Kun: たかどの (takadono, 樓)、やぐら (yagura, 樓)、うち (uchi, 樓)

## Korean
### Hanja

樓 (eumhun 다락 루 (darak ru), word-initial (South Korea) 다락 누 (darak nu))
* hanja form of 루/누 (“building of two or more stories”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

樓: Hán Nôm readings: lâu, lầu
* (literary) a multi-story building
* floor (of a multi-level building)
** circa 19th century, Dương Minh; Ðức Thị, "Thạch Sanh Lý Thông Thư", lines 668-669
    呢段公主沖宮，𨕭楼袩𨑜庄用𠬠埃Này đoạn công chúa trong cung/ Trên lầu xem xuống chẳng dùng một ai. Now this part is of a princess in the palace, looking down from above without help from anyone.