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高楼大厦

高樓大廈
gāolóu-dàshà
idiom #31,541

Meanings

  1. 1 high-rise buildings
  2. 2 skyscrapers
  3. 3 tall buildings (collectively)

Examples

HSK 2
上海到处都是高楼大厦。
Shànghǎi dàochù dōu shì gāolóu-dàshà.
Shanghai is full of high-rises everywhere.
HSK 7-9
他从乡下来到城市，第一次看到这么多高楼大厦。
Tā cóng xiāngxià láidào chéngshì, dìyī cì kàndào zhème duō gāolóu-dàshà.
He came to the city from the countryside and saw so many skyscrapers for the first time.

Tips

memory
A four-character set phrase parsing as 高 'tall' + 楼 'multi-story building' + 大 'big' + 厦 'mansion / large building' - two near-synonyms doubled for emphasis. The pattern of Adj-Noun-Adj-Noun is hugely productive: 高山大海 'high mountains and great seas', 千山万水 'a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers'.
usage
Distinct in tone from the more technical 摩天大楼 (mótiān dàlóu) 'sky-scraping building' - 高楼大厦 evokes a general urban skyline, while 摩天大楼 suggests specific landmarks like the Empire State Building or Shanghai Tower.

Stroke Order

高 gāo
楼 lóu
大 dà
厦 shà