Usage note
楼是指建筑物的楼层。例如，你可以住在楼房的一层或顶层。
lóu shì fùzhú jiùcè de lóucéng. rúkě nǐ kěyǐ zhùzài lóucéng yīcéng huò tóuzhèn.
楼 refers to the floors of a building. For example, you can live on the first floor or the top floor.
Context note
楼通常出现在描述建筑物的高度或楼层时。比如，你可以说‘我家住在五层楼’或者‘这座大楼有二十层楼高’。
lóu tōngcháng chūxiàn xiěshù jìzhuàng de gāodù huò lóucéng shí. bǐrú, nǐ kěyǐ shuō ‘wǒ jiā zhùzài wǔcéng lóu’ huò ‘zhè zuò dàlóu yǒu èrshí céng lóu gāo’.
楼 is commonly used when describing the height or number of floors in a building. For example, you can say '我家住在五层楼' (I live on the fifth floor) or '这座大楼有二十层楼高' (This building has twenty floors high).
5 examples
我家住在三楼。
wǒ jiā zhù zài sān lóu。
I live on the third floor.
这栋楼很高。
zhè dòng lóu hěn gāo。
This building is very tall.
我们去四楼的办公室。
wǒ men qù sì lóu de bàn gōng shì。
We are going to the office on the fourth floor.
我家旁边有两层小楼。
wǒ jiā páng biān yǒu liǎng céng xiǎo lóu。
There are two-story small buildings next to my house.
这座大楼共有十层楼。
zhè zuò dà lóu gòng yǒu shí céng lóu。
This building has a total of ten floors.
5 mini stories
小明住在五楼，他每天都要爬楼梯上上下下。
xiǎo míng zhù zài wǔ lóu， tā měi tiān dōu yào pá lóu tī shàng shàng xià xià。
Xiaoming lives on the fifth floor, he has to climb up and down the stairs every day.
妈妈说新家有三层楼，比旧房子好多了。
mā ma shuō xīn jiā yǒu sān céng lóu， bǐ jiù fáng zi hǎo duō le。
Mom said the new house has three floors, much better than the old one.
小红的学校在七楼，她每天都要坐电梯上下课。
xiǎo hóng de xué xiào zài qī lóu， tā měi tiān dōu yào zuò diàn tī shàng xià kè。
Xiaohong's school is on the seventh floor, she has to take the elevator to and from class every day.
爷爷住在老小区的一楼，他喜欢坐在门口的台阶上晒太阳。
yé ye zhù zài lǎo xiǎo qū de yī lóu， tā xǐ huan zuò zài mén kǒu de tái jiē shàng shài tài yáng。
Grandpa lives on the first floor of an old neighborhood, he likes to sit on the steps in front of his door to enjoy the sun.
小华家附近有一栋高楼，每天晚上灯火通明。
xiǎo huá jiā fù jìn yǒu yí dòng gāo lóu， měi tiān wǎn shàng dēng huǒ tōng míng。
Xiaohua's home is near a tall building, it lights up brightly every night.
Mini dialogue
问教室
A
你的教室在哪栋楼？
Nǐ de jiàoshì zài nǎ dòng lóu?
Which building is your classroom in?
B
在那栋白色的楼。
Zài nà dòng báisè de lóu.
In that white building.
住几楼
A
你家住几楼？
Nǐ jiā zhù jǐ lóu?
Which floor does your family live on?
B
我家住三楼。
Wǒ jiā zhù sān lóu.
My family lives on the third floor.
Related words and contrasts
related
房子
fángzi
house
楼 is a multi-storey building; 房子 is a general word for house.
contrast
层
céng
floor (storey)
楼 can mean building or floor; 层 is the measure word for floors.