About
The character for "building" or "establishment", originally embodied in the traditional form "館", structurally integrates the radical for food ("食") with the component "官" denoting an official, etymologically pointing to its initial reference as a lodging or hostel where traveling officials received accommodation and meals. Over time, its semantic scope expanded beyond these administrative waystations to generalize into a term for any dedicated building serving a specific public or private function, such as a museum, hotel, or cultural center, while the simplified form "馆" maintains this conceptual lineage through a condensed version of the food radical. This shift from a specific institution of hospitality to a broad categorical label for edifices illustrates the character's adaptive journey within the language.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我去图书馆看书。
这个博物馆很大。
学校旁边有餐馆。
我们晚上去宾馆休息。
那家美术馆展览很精彩。
我先去图书馆，然后去体育馆。
因为下雨，我们取消了参观博物馆的计划。
这家咖啡馆的环境非常舒适，适合长时间工作。