Someone is lying flat on the sofa with their head under a glass table, watching the phone that rests on the glass above their face. That flat-out position is 躺.
躺 (tǎng) means to lie, as in lying on your back or your side. It is about body position and has nothing to do with telling a lie. 躺下 (tǎng xià) means to lie down.
我想躺一会儿。 — Wǒ xiǎng tǎng yíhuìr. — I want to lie down for a while.
他躺在沙发上。 — Tā tǎng zài shāfā shang. — He is lying on the sofa.
A toddler has fallen asleep standing up, face on the sofa, with the lollipop still in his hand. He never let go of the 棒棒糖.
棒棒糖 (bàng bàng táng) means “lollipop.” 棒 is a stick and 糖 is candy or sugar: stick-stick candy.
Count lollipops with 根 (gēn): 一根棒棒糖 (yì gēn bàngbàngtáng).
我想吃棒棒糖。 — Wǒ xiǎng chī bàngbàngtáng. — I want a lollipop.
他手里拿着一根棒棒糖。 — Tā shǒu li názhe yì gēn bàngbàngtáng. — He is holding a lollipop.
A big grey beast has a padded sofa built right into its side: a living 沙发.
沙发 (shāfā) means “sofa.” It is a sound loan from English; 沙 (sand) and 发 (send out) don’t mean anything together.
Count sofas with 张 (zhāng) or 个 (gè): 一张沙发.
他坐在沙发上看电视。 — Tā zuò zài shāfā shang kàn diànshì. — He is sitting on the sofa watching TV.
这个沙发太软了。 — Zhège shāfā tài ruǎn le. — This sofa is too soft.
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