邻居
neighbor
línjū
What does 邻居 mean?
邻居 (línjū) means 'neighbor' — the people who live next door, across the hall, or in the same building or compound. Both characters reinforce the meaning: 邻 means 'adjacent / next to' and 居 means 'to live / reside.' Use it for individuals (我的邻居是一位老师, 'my neighbor is a teacher') or as a group (好邻居, 'good neighbors'). For English speakers: Chinese does not distinguish 'neighbor' from 'next-door neighbor' — 邻居 covers both.
The phrase 邻国 (línguó) extends the same character 邻 to mean 'neighboring country.' Note: 邻居 refers to people, not the location. The neighborhood as a place is 小区 (xiǎoqū, residential compound) or 社区 (shèqū, community). Common patterns: 是邻居 ('be neighbors'), 当邻居 ('be / become neighbors'), 邻居家 ('neighbor's home').
Character breakdown
adjacent; next to; near
to live; reside; dwell
Memory hook: 邻 (next to) + 居 (live) — the people who live next to you.
Measure word for 邻居
Example sentences
我的邻居很好。
Wǒ de línjū hěn hǎo.
My neighbor is very nice.
neutral
我们是邻居。
Wǒmen shì línjū.
We are neighbors.
spoken
昨天，新邻居来我家了。
Zuótiān, xīn línjū lái wǒ jiā le.
Yesterday, the new neighbor came to my home.
neutral
我跟邻居一起吃了晚饭。
Wǒ gēn línjū yìqǐ chī le wǎnfàn.
I had dinner together with my neighbor.
spoken
Common phrases with 邻居
Don't confuse 邻居 with
朋友 is a friend — chosen relationship, based on affection. 邻居 is whoever happens to live nearby. A 邻居 can become a 朋友, but the words are not interchangeable.
邻国 is a 'neighboring country' (China's 邻国 includes Russia, Vietnam, etc.). 邻居 is a personal neighbor. Both use 邻 ('adjacent'), but the second character changes the scale.
居住 is the verb 'to reside / live