lóuzhǔ: 楼主 - Original Poster (OP), Forum Host

• Keywords: louzhu, 楼主, what does louzhu mean, original poster in Chinese, OP in Chinese, Chinese internet slang, forum host, online forum Chinese, BBS, 盖楼, gài lóu, shāfā, 沙发
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese internet slang term 楼主 (lóuzhǔ), the direct equivalent of “Original Poster” or “OP”. Discover how this term, literally meaning “building master,” comes from the popular metaphor of a forum thread being a “building” (楼) and each reply being a “floor.” This guide explains its cultural context, practical usage on platforms like Weibo and Douban, and provides numerous example sentences for beginner learners to master modern, online Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): lóuzhǔ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: The user who starts a thread on an internet forum, social media platform, or online community.
• In a Nutshell: In the world of Chinese internet forums, a discussion thread is metaphorically called a 楼 (lóu), or a “building.” Each reply adds a new “floor” to the building. The person who created the original post is therefore the “master of the building”—the 楼主 (lóuzhǔ). It is the direct cultural and functional equivalent of “OP” (Original Poster) in English internet slang.

• 楼 (lóu): This character means “building,” “story,” or “floor.” In this context, it refers to the entire discussion thread itself.
• 主 (zhǔ): This character means “master,” “owner,” “host,” or “main.” It signifies the person who is in charge or who initiated something.
• When combined, 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) literally means “building master” or “host of the building,” a perfect metaphor for the person who created the online discussion and is now hosting the conversation.

The term 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) is a cornerstone of Chinese internet culture, born from the golden age of BBS (Bulletin Board System) forums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The entire ecosystem of discussion revolves around the “building” metaphor:

• 盖楼 (gài lóu): “To build a building,” meaning to add replies and make a thread longer.
• 抢沙发 (qiǎng shāfā): “To grab the sofa,” meaning to be the very first person to reply.

This contrasts with the English “OP” (Original Poster), which is a functional, sterile acronym. 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) is more vivid and evocative, immediately creating a mental image of a host who has built a space for others to gather and talk. It implies a sense of ownership and responsibility for the topic at hand. The 楼主 is expected to engage with replies, answer questions, and guide the discussion they started, much like a host at a party. This reflects a subtle communitarian value in online spaces, where the initiator of a conversation is seen as its natural steward.

楼主 is used ubiquitously across all Chinese-language online platforms where threaded discussions occur, including:

• Forums: Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧), Douban (豆瓣)
• Social Media: Weibo (微博) comments sections
• Q&A sites: Zhihu (知乎)
• Video sites: Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) comments

It is used informally to directly address or refer to the person who made the original post.

• Addressing the OP: People will write comments starting with `楼主，…` (Lóuzhǔ, …) to ask a question or make a point directly to them.
• Referring to the OP: In a conversation between two other users, one might say `你看楼主是怎么说的` (Nǐ kàn lóuzhǔ shì zěnme shuō de), meaning “Look at what the OP said.”

The connotation is completely neutral. It is simply a functional title. However, the tone can change based on the context of the sentence, e.g., `楼主好人` (OP is a good person) vs. `楼主骗人` (OP is a liar).

• Example 1:
  • 楼主，你这个问题问得很好！
  • Pinyin: Lóuzhǔ, nǐ zhège wèntí wèn de hěn hǎo!
  • English: OP, that's a great question you've asked!
  • Analysis: A common way to directly address the OP to praise their post and begin a reply.
• Example 2:
  • 我同意楼主的看法。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ tóngyì lóuzhǔ de kànfǎ.
  • English: I agree with the OP's point of view.
  • Analysis: Used to refer to the OP in the third person while stating agreement.
• Example 3:
  • 谢谢楼主分享，这个信息太有用了！
  • Pinyin: Xièxie lóuzhǔ fēnxiǎng, zhège xìnxī tài yǒuyòng le!
  • English: Thanks for sharing, OP, this information is so useful!
  • Analysis: A typical expression of gratitude for a helpful or informative post.
• Example 4:
  • 大家好，我是楼主。我来补充几点。
  • Pinyin: Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì lóuzhǔ. Wǒ lái bǔchōng jǐ diǎn.
  • English: Hey everyone, it's the OP here. I'd like to add a few points.
  • Analysis: The original poster self-identifies when adding more information or replying to comments in their own thread.
• Example 5:
  • 等了半天，楼主怎么还不出现？
  • Pinyin: Děngle bàntiān, lóuzhǔ zěnme hái bù chūxiàn?
  • English: I've been waiting forever, why hasn't the OP shown up yet?
  • Analysis: Used when commenters are waiting for the OP to reply to questions or continue the story.
• Example 6:
  • 楼主，能提供一下信息的来源吗？
  • Pinyin: Lóuzhǔ, néng tígōng yīxià xìnxī de láiyuán ma?
  • English: OP, can you please provide the source of this information?
  • Analysis: A direct and polite request for clarification or evidence from the original poster.
• Example 7:
  • 楼上的，你看清楚楼主的原话再评论。
  • Pinyin: Lóushàng de, nǐ kàn qīngchǔ lóuzhǔ de yuánhuà zài pínglùn.
  • English: To the user in the comment above, read the OP's original post clearly before you comment.
  • Analysis: Here, `楼上` (lóushàng, “upstairs”) refers to a previous comment. This sentence shows how `楼主` is used to direct someone back to the original source of the discussion.
• Example 8:
  • 楼主的经历真是太搞笑了！
  • Pinyin: Lóuzhǔ de jīnglì zhēnshi tài gǎoxiào le!
  • English: The OP's experience is hilarious!
  • Analysis: Commenting on a personal story shared by the original poster.
• Example 9:
  • 如果楼主说的是真的，那问题就严重了。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ lóuzhǔ shuō de shì zhēn de, nà wèntí jiù yánzhòng le.
  • English: If what the OP is saying is true, then the problem is serious.
  • Analysis: Shows how the `楼主` is treated as the primary source of information within the context of the thread.
• Example 10:
  • 只有我一个人觉得楼主在胡说八道吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyǒu wǒ yīgè rén juéde lóuzhǔ zài húshuōbādào ma?
  • English: Am I the only one who thinks the OP is talking nonsense?
  • Analysis: An example of disagreeing with or challenging the original poster.

• Online Only: The biggest mistake is to use 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) in a real-world, offline context. It is exclusively internet slang. You would never call the owner of an apartment building `楼主`.
• False Friend Alert: The word for a landlord or the owner of a building you live in is 房东 (fángdōng).
  • Incorrect: `我的楼主让我交房租。` (Wǒ de lóuzhǔ ràng wǒ jiāo fángzū.)
  • Correct: `我的房东让我交房租。` (Wǒ de fángdōng ràng wǒ jiāo fángzū.) → My landlord told me to pay rent.
• It's a Noun, Not a Role: `楼主` refers to the person. You can't use it to describe the post itself.
  • Incorrect: `这个帖子很楼主。` (Zhège tiězi hěn lóuzhǔ.)
  • Correct: `这个帖子是楼主发的。` (Zhège tiězi shì lóuzhǔ fā de.) → This post was published by the OP.

• 盖楼 (gài lóu) - “To build a building”; the act of replying to a thread, thus adding more “floors.”
• 沙发 (shāfā) - “Sofa”; the very first reply to a post. It's the most coveted position.
• 板凳 (bǎndèng) - “Bench” or “stool”; the second reply to a post.
• 地板 (dìbǎn) - “Floor”; the third reply to a post.
• 顶 (dǐng) - “To top”; to “bump” a thread to the top of the forum list by replying to it.
• 沉了 (chén le) - “(It has) sunk”; describes a post that gets no new replies and disappears from the main page.
• 帖子 (tiězi) - The “post” or “thread” itself. The thing the `楼主` creates.
• 层主 (céngzhǔ) - “Floor master”; similar to `楼主`, but refers to the author of a specific comment (“floor”) that has its own sub-replies.
• 潜水 (qiánshuǐ) - “To dive”; to lurk on a forum, reading posts without ever commenting.
• 灌水 (guànshuǐ) - “To pour water”; to post meaningless, spammy, or off-topic replies.