How to Write 租 (zū) — Meaning “rent”

Imagine a farmer holding a stalk of grain (禾) and saying, 'I also (且) have to pay rent for this field.' The picture of grain plus 'also' helps you link the shape to the idea of paying for temporary use.

Write the left radical 禾 first with five strokes (撇, 横, 竖, 撇, 捺), making the right-falling stroke shorter to leave room for 且. Then write 且 with the box shape (竖, 横折) and three horizontals; the bottom horizontal should be the longest. A common mistake is making the left side too wide, so keep 禾 narrow.

租 has 且 on the right (looks like a box with three lines), while 秆 has 干 (a simple T-shape) and means 'plant stalk'. 秉 has 彐 (a hand shape) and means 'to grasp'. Remember: 租's right side has a 'table' shape (且), which can remind you of paying rent at a desk.

租 is used for renting things like apartments (房租, rent for a house), cars (租车), or taxis (出租 means 'to rent out', and 出租车 is a taxi). In big Chinese cities, many people rent homes instead of buying, so you'll often see 租 on signs or in rental ads.

Common words containing 租 include: 出租 (chū zū) — to rent out; 房租 (fáng zū) — rent; 租车 (zū chē) — rent a car.