图书馆
library
túshūguǎn
What does 图书馆 mean?
图书馆 (túshūguǎn) is the noun for 'library' — the building or institution where books are borrowed and read. Literally 'picture-book hall,' it refers to public libraries, university libraries, and school libraries alike. Common collocations: 去图书馆 ('go to the library'), 在图书馆 ('at the library'), 图书馆员 ('librarian').
Do not confuse with 书店 (bookstore — where you buy books) or 书房 (study, the room at home). In Chinese university culture, 图书馆 carries strong study-hard connotations: it's where students reserve seats, pull all-nighters, and meet study partners. The character 馆 (guǎn) is the same suffix you see in 餐馆 'restaurant,' 博物馆 'museum,' 体育馆 'gymnasium' — all public 'halls' for a specific activity.
Character breakdown
picture; chart
book
hall; building (for a specific use)
Memory hook: Picture (图) + book (书) + hall (馆) → the hall for books and visual materials.
Measure word for 图书馆
Example sentences
我下午要去图书馆。
Wǒ xiàwǔ yào qù túshūguǎn.
I'm going to the library this afternoon.
spoken
图书馆里很安静。
Túshūguǎn lǐ hěn ānjìng.
It's very quiet in the library.
neutral
她在图书馆借了三本书。
Tā zài túshūguǎn jiè le sān běn shū.
She borrowed three books at the library.
neutral
我们学校的图书馆很大。
Wǒmen xuéxiào de túshūguǎn hěn dà.
Our school's library is very big.
neutral
Common phrases with 图书馆
Don't confuse 图书馆 with
书店 is a bookSTORE — where you BUY books. 图书馆 is the library — where you BORROW. Beginner mix-up.
书房 is a study or den at home (a room with books and a desk). 图书馆 is a public building or institution.
博物馆 is 'museum' — same 馆 suffix. Don't drop characters from one and reuse with the other.
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 图书馆 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.