住 (zhù) — to live; to stay; to reside

Definition

Examples

  • 住?
    Nǐ zhù zài nǎ lǐ?
    Where do you live?
  • 住。
    Wǒ zhù zài zhōng guó.
    I live in China.
  • 住。
    Tā zhù zài xué xiào.
    He lives at school.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Grammar

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