租 (zū) - rent, lease & tax, tribute

租Tone 1

zū ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

志

租 · zū

rent, lease;

tax, tribute;

to rent out;

to hire;

to let

rent, leasetax, tributeto rent out

Usage highlights

rent a houserent moneylease contracttax and corvéeland rentcar rental

Synonyms

  • 赁— to rent, to hire
  • 税— tax, duty

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to rent an apartment (租公寓).
  • The monthly rent is expensive (月租很贵).
  • He leased a car for his business (租了一辆车).
  • This land is rented to farmers (这块地租给农民了).

Collocations

  • rent a house(租房)
  • rent money(租金)
  • lease contract(租约)
  • tax and corvée(租庸调)
  • land rent(地租)
  • car rental(租车)

Idioms

  • No set idiom found for 租 as a single character, but it appears in historical terms like the Land-Tax System (租庸调制).

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, 租 referred to land tax and grain tribute in imperial China, a primary source of state revenue.
  • The character reflects the agrarian basis of traditional Chinese society, where land and its produce were central to the economy.
  • In modern usage, its meaning has shifted predominantly to commercial and residential leasing.

FAQ