邻居 (línjū) — neighbor

邻居 (línjū)

邻居 refers to a neighbor — someone who lives next door or in close proximity. It is a neutral, everyday word used in both city apartment contexts and traditional neighborhood settings. 邻 relates to proximity and adjacency, while 居 means "to reside / dwell."

Meanings

1. [noun] Neighbor; next-door resident; someone living nearby.

Example Sentences

我的邻居是一对年轻夫妻。 Wǒ de línjū shì yī duì niánqīng fūqī. My neighbor is a young couple.

邻居帮我照看了猫。 Línjū bāng wǒ zhàokàn le māo. My neighbor helped look after my cat.

我们和邻居的关系很好。 Wǒmen hé línjū de guānxi hěn hǎo. We have a great relationship with our neighbors.

昨晚邻居家很吵，我没睡好。 Zuówǎn línjū jiā hěn chǎo, wǒ méi shuì hǎo. The neighbor's place was very noisy last night and I didn't sleep well.

Collocations

Memory Hook

邻 contains the right-ear radical 阝 (used for places and areas) suggesting locality. 居 means "to dwell." A 邻居 is simply someone who dwells in your locality — within earshot of your daily life.