Origin & Mnemonic:

Grain paid as land tax or tribute. To rent, lease, or hire out property or goods; a rental fee. Grain (禾) handed over for extra (且) space or land.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 出租车 (chūzūchē) — taxi
  • 租房 (zūfáng) — rent a house/apartment
  • 租车 (zūchē) — rent a car
  • 出租 (chūzū) — rent out / for rent
  • 租一个出租车 坐出租车

    For a single ride you 坐出租车 (take a taxi). 租出租车 only works if you are renting the whole vehicle for an extended period.

  • 租房子住 租房住

    Grammatical but clunky at HSK 1. The clean pattern is 租房 or 租房子; adding 住 is redundant in beginner speech.

Why do Chinese people say 坐出租车 instead of 租出租车?

坐出租车 means 'take a taxi'; 租出租车 means 'rent a taxi' for a longer period.

坐 (zuò) literally means 'sit' and is the normal verb for taking a short ride in a vehicle. 租 (zū) means 'rent' and implies paying to use something over time, like renting a car for a day or renting an apartment. So a single taxi ride is 坐出租车, while 租车 means 'rent a car'.

DimensionNaturalAvoid
Short ride坐出租车租出租车
Long-term use租车坐车 (for renting)

What is the difference between 租 and 买?

租 means 'rent' (temporary use); 买 means 'buy' (permanent ownership).

租 (zū) is used when you pay to use something for a period and then return it, like renting an apartment or a car. 买 (mǎi) means to purchase and own something permanently. So 租房 means 'rent a house' and 买房 means 'buy a house' — they are opposites in terms of ownership.

DimensionNaturalAvoid
Temporary use租房买房子 (for renting)
Permanent ownership买房租房子 (for buying)

Appears in Stories 1 story

《苹果十九》 Waiting for iPhone 19
HSK 1 ~2 min read 99 chars
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Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.

  • 晚上 出租车 大学那边苹果商店手机

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