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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'hall' or 'heaven' with 堂 (táng)

    Location & Position
    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    Noun + 堂

    Explanation

    The noun 堂 (táng) means "hall," "main room," or "court," and it also appears in the compound 天堂 (tiāntáng, heaven/paradise). It is used as a suffix in many compound words referring to large rooms or institutions, such as 课堂 (classroom) and 礼堂 (auditorium). Its meaning depends heavily on the compound in which it appears.

    Examples

    • 下课后请大家回到课堂。

      Xiàkè hòu qǐng dàjiā huídào kètáng.

      After class, please everyone return to the classroom.

    • 那座礼堂可以容纳五百人。

      Nà zuò lǐtáng kěyǐ róngnà wǔbǎi rén.

      That auditorium can hold five hundred people.

    • 天堂和地狱只在一念之间。

      Tiāntáng hé dìyù zhǐ zài yī niàn zhī jiān.

      Heaven and hell are separated by just a single thought.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'hall' or 'heaven' with 堂 (táng) | Chinese Grammar