租 meaning and stroke order
To hire; to rent; to charter
How to write 租, stroke by stroke
10 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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- 10
Meaning of 租
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hire
- to rent
- to charter
- to rent out
- to lease out
- rent
How 租 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Regularly paid 且 tribute in grain 禾.
Radical: 禾 (cereal), shared by 66 characters on this site.
How to remember 租
On the left is 禾 (hé), grain, and on the right is 且 (qiě). The etymology hint pictures rent as tribute paid regularly in grain, so think of a farmer handing over sacks of 禾 every season to use the land.
租 (zū) works for both renting from someone and renting out to someone, and it appears in everyday words like 房租 (fángzū) rent and 出租车 (chūzūchē) taxi. Example: 我在北京租了一个房子。(Wǒ zài Běijīng zū le yí ge fángzi.) I rented an apartment in Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 租 with 组 (zǔ, group), which has the same right side 且 but the silk radical 纟 on the left. Remember that rent was paid in grain, so 租 takes 禾, and keep the first tone zū, not third tone.
Common words with 租
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi; (Tw) rental car | HSK 2 |
| 出租 | chūzū | to rent | HSK 2 |
| 房租 | fángzū | rent for a room or house | HSK 3 |
| 租金 | zūjīn | rent | HSK 6 |
| 租赁 | zūlìn | to rent; to lease; to hire | HSK 7-9 |
| 租约 | zūyuē | lease | |
| 租车 | zūchē | to rent a car; rental car | |
| 租房 | zūfáng | to rent an apartment | |
| 租用 | zūyòng | to lease; to hire | |
| 租客 | zūkè | tenant | |
| 租借 | zūjiè | to rent; to lease |
租 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 租
How many strokes are in 租?
租 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 租 mean?
租 (zū) means to hire; to rent; to charter. A common word with it is 出租车 (chūzūchē), meaning "taxi; (Tw) rental car".
How do you pronounce 租?
租 is pronounced zū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 租?
The radical of 租 is 禾, which carries the idea of "cereal". Dictionaries list 租 under this radical.
Is 租 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 租 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do I say 'rent out' versus 'rent from' with 租?
租 alone can mean either, and context decides. To make 'rent out' clear, use 出租 (chūzū) or 租给 someone, as in 他把房子租给我。(Tā bǎ fángzi zū gěi wǒ.) He rented the house to me.
What is the difference between 房租 and 租金?
房租 (fángzū) is specifically rent for a room or house. 租金 (zūjīn) is a more general word for rental money and can apply to cars, equipment or shops as well.