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Sometimes I have a hard time telling the two apart. For example, the following:
It's called veranda and balcony by the author (who lives in Japan):
Unlike the old "clothes line" of my childhood, we use the veranda (balcony) as our drying place.
Source: http://thedelacourier.blogspot.tw/2006/05/cloudy-with-high-probability-of-wet.html
But guess it can only be one option? (Or a structure can be a veranda and a balcony at the same time?) What are the main differences?
A veranda is an open roofed walkway/standing area attached to the side of a building.
A balcony is an elevated walkway/standing area attached to the side of a building (or attached to an interior wall).
See Google Images for veranda and balcony.
It's possible for a given structure to be both, but generally "balcony" would be used for an elevated structure.
A veranda (or verandah, also piazza) is a ground floor appendage. A balcony is a similar appendage found above the ground floor. A veranda is often confused with a porch, which is generally shorter in length. According to American landscape architect, Andrew Jackson Downing, in Cottage Residences (1842) pp53-56, one may have a veranda that comprises nearly the entire length of a residence, with the central (entrance) portion of the veranda called a porch and the next level directly above called a balcony. Note the term piazza was historically used for veranda - chiefly in New England.
What is called a balcony in English, is called a ベランダ (veranda) in Japanese. It's not an accurate usage of the term "veranda" within the context of English. However, it's not wrong if you consider the etymology of veranda. The original Portuguese word "varanda" meant "long balcony or terrace". So it is likely "veranda" did not make its way into Japanese through English.
Although in recent years "balcony" (バルコニー) is making its way into Japanese more and more. But it carries a different nuance than "veranda". A veranda would be just for hanging laundry up to dry, whereas a balcony would usually be more spacious, and you might even fit a small table there with a couple of chairs for tea.
in my view, varandah means the roof covered space just before the entrance of the house ( main entrance (simh dwaram ) or back door / side entrannce. it means varandah is the roofed way between the house and out side area. Balcony is also the roofed, covered / un covered space attached to or just before any entrance, where there is no provision to go outside by normal walking or running from the house.
