館(かん)

かん
suffix
-kan; hall; building; mansion
1. hall; building; large facility
A suffix attached to names of large buildings or public facilities such as museums, libraries, embassies, and hotels. Also used as a standalone noun meaning a large building or mansion.
図書館(としょかん)で本(ほん)を借(か)りた。
I borrowed a book from the library.
美術館(びじゅつかん)は月曜日(げつようび)が休(やす)みです。
The art museum is closed on Mondays.
この旅館(りょかん)は百年以上(ひゃくねんいじょう)の歴史(れきし)がある。
This traditional inn has a history of over a hundred years.

USAGE:
Most commonly encountered as a suffix in compound words naming large buildings or public facilities. Rarely used alone in modern Japanese.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 図書館(としょかん) (library)
  • 美術館(びじゅつかん) (art museum)
  • 博物館(はくぶつかん) (museum)
  • 映画館(えいがかん) (movie theater)
  • 旅館(りょかん) (traditional Japanese inn)
  • 大使館(たいしかん) (embassy)
  • 体育館(たいいくかん) (gymnasium)
  • 水族館(すいぞくかん) (aquarium)

NOTE:
The reading 館(やかた) exists as a separate word meaning mansion or manor house, with a more archaic or literary feel.

general
Added 2026.3.17 14:56
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