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.
租
Common Usage & Traps
- 出租车 — taxi
- 租房 — rent a house/apartment
- 租车 — rent a car
- 出租 — rent out / for rent
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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.
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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'.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary use | 租房 | 买房子 (for renting) |
| Permanent ownership | 买房 | 租房子 (for buying) |
Appears in Stories 1 story
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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晚上，我坐 出租车 去大学那边的苹果商店买手机。
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