It can be composed of a number of rooms with different functions, including notably the anbang (안방; lit.

The sarangchae and sarangbang are the male-oriented counterparts, and could be either connected to the anchae or anbang, or be a separate building altogether.

The anchae was considered the central or main building of the household, and was generally larger than the sarangchae.

[5]: 35 The anbang was the innermost room of the anchae,[6] and often placed further away from the main entrance of the house.

The ceiling is usually covered with a paper wallpaper (종이반자), though there are instances in which the rafters are left exposed.

The remaining portion of the house, called the jeongchim (정침; 正寢), was not necessarily exclusively for females, but was shared by the couple.

Memorial shrines to ancestors (가묘; 家廟), which had once been external to the house (and previously rarely built by commoners), became commonplace within the household.

Spaces that had once been used for entertaining extended family and guests became converted into locations for jesa (ancestor worship rituals).