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堂

táng
noun HSK 7-9 #3,801

Meanings

  1. 1 hall; main room
  2. 2 measure word for classes/lessons
  3. 3 imposing; grand

Examples

今天上了三堂课。
Jīntiān shàng le sān táng kè.
I had three classes today.
食堂的饭很便宜。
Shítáng de fàn hěn piányi.
The cafeteria food is very cheap.
课堂上不要说话。
Kètáng shàng bùyào shuōhuà.
Don't talk in class.

Tips

usage
堂 is used in: 食堂 (cafeteria/canteen), 课堂 (classroom), 教堂 (church), 大堂 (main hall/lobby), 堂兄弟 (paternal male cousins). As a measure word, it counts sessions of class: 一堂课 (one class period).

Components

radical
土 tǔ
earth; soil
Bottom indexing earth radical — names the foundation: a hall is built on a packed earth platform, traditionally a raised ceremonial mound. Same family of 土-floored chars: 堂's siblings 场 (open field), 城 (city wall), 塔 (tower), 坐 (sit on the ground), 基 (foundation). The earth marks 'built structure, defined ground'.
phonetic
尚 shàng
still; esteem; lofty
Top 尚 supplies the sound — shàng shifting to táng in 堂 (a known sh/t alternation in this phonetic series). 尚 also adds a faint semantic flavor of 'lofty, elevated' which suits a hall: a raised, formal space. Phonetic family: 党 (party), 棠 (crab apple), 趟 (a trip), 躺 (lie down), 倘 (if).

Stroke Order

堂 táng