Chinese word

住

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhù

Meaning

  • verblive

Example

住在东京已经五年了。zhù zài dōng jīng yǐ jīng wǔ nián le

I have been living in Tokyo for five years.

Illustration for 住 (live)

More examples

我们全家都住在一个小区里。wǒ men quán jiā dōu zhù zài yí gè xiǎo qū lǐ

Our whole family lives in the same neighborhood.

Core concept

A person remains anchored in one place, using it as a home or living base.

Common phrases

  • 住在家里zhù zài jiā lǐ

    live at home

  • 住在北京zhù zài běi jīng

    live in Beijing

  • 住在学校zhù zài xué xiào

    live at school

Similar words

在zài: Be located in a particular place, whether referring to a person or a thing.
住在zhù zài: Live in a particular place as a home, usually followed by its location.

Definition in Chinese

在某处居住或长期停留，表示把该处作为生活或居所的地点。zài mǒu chù jū zhù huò cháng qī tíng liú biǎo shì bǎ gāi chù zuò wéi shēng huó huò jū suǒ de dì diǎn

Word origin

The character 住 (zhù, "live") combines 亻 (rén, "person") for meaning with 主 (zhǔ, "main") for sound, linking a person with a fixed place.

Usage tips

  • A one-night hotel visit is usually expressed with a phrase about spending the night, which helps distinguish a short stay from having a home in that place.

Other meanings

  • stayverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word