租 (zū) — to rent

租 (zū)

租 means to rent as both a verb and noun. It can describe both the act of renting something from someone and the act of leasing something out to someone else, depending on context.

Meanings

1. [verb] To rent; to lease; to hire (something from someone).
2. [verb] To rent out; to let (something to someone).
3. [noun] Rent; rental fee.

Example Sentences

我想在这里租一间房间。 Wǒ xiǎng zài zhèlǐ zū yī jiān fángjiān. I would like to rent a room here.

这套公寓每个月租多少钱？ Zhè tào gōngyù měi gè yuè zū duōshao qián? How much is the rent for this apartment per month?

他把房子租给了一个学生。 Tā bǎ fángzi zū gěi le yīgè xuésheng. He rented the house out to a student.

我们可以租一辆自行车游览城市。 Wǒmen kěyǐ zū yī liàng zìxíngchē yóulǎn chéngshì. We can rent a bicycle to tour the city.

Collocations

Memory Hook

租 contains 禾 (grain) and 且 (moreover). Historically, rent was often paid in grain. Think of a farmer handing over a share of their harvest as payment for using the land.