楼ろう閣かく

ろ

う

か

く

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

multistoried building; tower; palace; shrine

Refers to an impressive, tall building with multiple stories, often with historical, religious, or palatial connotations. Used in literary or formal descriptions rather than everyday speech.

その寺じ院いんの楼ろう閣かくは遠とおくからでも見みえた。
The temple's multistoried tower was visible even from a distance.
絵え巻まき物ものには華か麗れいな楼ろう閣かくが描えがかれている。
The picture scroll depicts a magnificent palace.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を築きずくto build/construct a tower or palace
王おうは丘おかの上うえに壮そう麗れいな楼ろう閣かくを築きずいた。
The king built a magnificent tower on the hill.
楼ろう閣かくがそびえるfor a tower/palace to loom or stand tall
山やまの頂いただきに古ふるい楼ろう閣かくがそびえている。
An old multistoried tower looms atop the mountain.

Expressions

砂さ上じょうの楼ろう閣かくhouse built on sand; house of cards

Kanji

楼watchtower, lookout, high building
閣tower, tall building, palace

Related words

高こう層そうビルN3
高層ビル is the modern, everyday term for a skyscraper, while 楼閣 is a literary word evoking a grand, often traditional multistoried structure.
城しろN3
城 is the common, concrete word for a castle, whereas 楼閣 is a poetic term that can suggest a castle-like tower without naming it directly.
塔とうN3
塔 refers to a slender tower or spire, while 楼閣 implies a larger, multistoried palace-like building.
殿でん堂どう
殿堂 emphasizes a grand hall or shrine of reverence, while 楼閣 focuses on the multistoried architectural form itself.

Counted with

棟むね
ridge of a roof · back of a sword · counter for buildings

Word family

空くう中ちゅう楼ろう閣かく
castle in the air; pipe dream; unrealistic plan

Etymology

Compound of 楼 (tall building, tower) and 閣 (tower, palace). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used in Chinese and Japanese to describe grand, multistoried structures.