yuàn
yard; compound; courtyard; college
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我在医院工作。
wǒ zài yīyuàn gōngzuò.
I work in a hospital.
他住在学校的宿舍里。
tā zhù zài xuéxiào de sùshè lǐ.
He lives in the school dormitory.
我们去公园玩。
wǒmen qù gōngyuán wán.
We go to the park to play.
学校 (xuéxiào)
school
医院 (yīyuàn)
hospital
外 (wài)
outside
校 (xiào)
school
The Chinese character 院 (yuàn) is composed of two parts: the radical 广 (guǎng), which means "wide" or "spacious", and the phonetic component 爰 (yuán), which is a variant of the character 瑗 (yuàn), meaning "a round jade ornament". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of a large, open space, which is why 院 is often used to refer to courtyards, gardens, or other enclosed areas. In modern Chinese, 院 is also used to refer to schools, hospitals, and other institutions that are typically located in large, open spaces.The character 院 has a long history, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally used as a pictograph of a courtyard, and over time it evolved into its current form. The character 院 is also used in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, where it has similar meanings.
