居 meaning and stroke order
To live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
How to write 居, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 居
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (archaic) sentence-final particle expressing a doubting attitude
- (literary) to reside; to live
- (bound form) to occupy (a position)
- (literary) to store up
- (literary) to remain; to stay
- (bound form) residence; dwelling
- (bound form) used in names of restaurants
How 居 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Door.
户 gives the meaning and 古 hints at the sound.
Radical: 户 (door), shared by 15 characters on this site.
How to remember 居
居 is built from 户 (hù, door) on the outside and 古 (gǔ, old) tucked underneath. Picture an old family living behind the same door for years, and you have the idea of residing somewhere. 古 also hints at the sound.
On its own 居 is literary, so in everyday speech it mostly appears inside words like 居住 (jūzhù, to reside), 邻居 (línjū, neighbor) and 居民 (jūmín, resident). It is also common in restaurant names, such as 某某居. Example: 我的邻居很友好。(Wǒ de línjū hěn yǒuhǎo.) My neighbor is very friendly.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 居 with 剧 (jù, drama), which contains 居 plus 刂. The two also differ in tone, first tone jū versus fourth tone jù. Also note the inner part is 古, not 古 written with an extra stroke like 舌.
Common words with 居
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 居民 | jūmín | resident; inhabitant | HSK 4 |
| 居住 | jūzhù | to reside; to dwell | HSK 4 |
| 居然 | jūrán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise | HSK 5 |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbor | HSK 5 |
| 定居 | dìngjū | to settle (in some city, country etc); to take up residence | HSK 7-9 |
| 居高临下 | jūgāo-línxià | lit. to be in a high location, overlooking the scene below (idiom); fig. to occupy a comma | HSK 7-9 |
| 居民楼 | jūmínlóu | apartment building; residential tower | HSK 7-9 |
| 同居 | tóngjū | to live together; to cohabit | |
| 分居 | fēnjū | to separate (married couple); to live apart (of husband and wife, family members) | |
| 起居室 | qǐjūshì | living room; sitting room | |
| 隐居 | yǐnjū | to live in seclusion | |
| 独居 | dújū | to live alone; to live a solitary existence | |
| 穴居人 | xuéjūrén | cave man | |
| 移居 | yíjū | to migrate; to move to a new place of residence |
居 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 居
Learning 居 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 居
How many strokes are in 居?
居 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 居 mean?
居 (jū) means to live, to reside; to dwell; to sit. A common word with it is 居民 (jūmín), meaning "resident; inhabitant".
How do you pronounce 居?
居 is pronounced jū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 居?
The radical of 居 is 户, which carries the idea of "door". Dictionaries list 居 under this radical.
Is 居 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 居 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 居然 mean unexpectedly if 居 means to live?
In 居然 (jūrán) the meaning of 居 has shifted, and the word works as one unit expressing surprise. Example: 他居然来了。(Tā jūrán lái le.) He actually came, to my surprise.
What is the difference between 居住 and 住?
住 (zhù) is the everyday word for living somewhere, as in 我住在北京 (Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng). 居住 (jūzhù) is more formal and appears in writing, official documents and news.