住 zhù live in
live in; to hold firm
How to remember 住: 亻 person + 主 lord = live in. The young person meets the old lord of the castle, who lets her rent a tiny tower room to live in.
Component breakdown
住 = 亻 person + 主 lord
- 亻 person
- 主 lord
The young person meets the old lord of the castle, who lets her rent a tiny tower room to live in.
How it is used
- Two jobs: 'reside' - 住在北京 (zhù zài Běijīng) live in Beijing - and a resultative ending meaning 'hold firm, fix in place'.
- As that ending it locks an action: 记住 (jìzhù) fix in memory / remember for good, 站住! (zhànzhù) halt!, 拿住 grip tight.
- 住 is the physical/long-term 'live somewhere'; for the abstract 'be alive' use 活 (huó).
Words with 住
- 住院zhùyuànto stay in hospitalHSK 3
- 入住rùzhùto check in (at a hotel etc)HSK 4
- 住址zhùzhǐaddressHSK 5
- 住宿zhùsùto stay atHSK 5
- 住房zhùfánghousingHSK 5
- 居住jūzhùto resideHSK 5
- 住宅zhùzháiresidenceHSK 6
- 衣食住行yī-shí-zhù-xíngthe basics of life - clothing, food, housing, travelHSK 6
- 住处zhùchùresidenceHSK 7
- 住户zhùhùhouseholdHSK 7
- 禁不住jīnbuzhùcan't help itHSK 7
Example sentences
- 我住在二楼。 Wǒ zhù zài èr lóu.I live on the second floor.
- 我在城市上班，但是住在郊区。 Wǒ zài chéngshì shàngbān, dànshì zhùzài jiāoqū.I work in the city, but live in the suburbs.