大楼
dàlóu · HSK 4
block
🏢 大 (big) + 楼 (multi-story building) = big building
大 means big or large. 楼 specifically refers to a multi-story building or floor above ground level. Together 大楼 names a large multi-story structure — a mansion, hall, or city block.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.
楼 — wood radical 木 + 婁 (lóu, phonetic)
楼 is a phono-semantic compound. The 木 radical signals wood, fitting a multi-storied wooden building, while 婁 supplies the lóu sound. Originally written 樓, it referred to a tower or upper story, and today means a multi-floor building or a specific floor.