Dear Zsyrii,

Why is a building called a building even after it’s built?

– Concerned and Confused

Dear Concerned and Confused,

I honestly never thought about this before you proposed the question. Maybe it is because after a building is built, there is still maintenance around the building, meaning that it’s never officially done because there is always something that needs to be done or that is getting done. “Build” means to construct something by putting parts or material together, and  -ing is added to show the present or continuous tense. So, it’s not something that is already built, but it is something which is still being built.