暂住证 (zàn zhù zhèng) — temporary residence permit

Definition

A document Chinese authorities issue to non-local residents (e.g. migrant workers, long-stay visitors) allowing them to live in a city short-term. It must be renewed periodically and is tied to one specific city.

noun
temporary residence permit
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 暂住证。
    Tā xū yào bàn lǐ yì zhāng zàn zhù zhèng.
    He needs to apply for a temporary residence permit.
  • 暂住证。
    Wǒ de zàn zhù zhèng xià ge yuè jiù guò qī le.
    My temporary residence permit expires next month.
  • 暂住证。
    Méi yǒu zàn zhù zhèng jiù bù néng zài zhè ge chéng shì cháng qī jū zhù.
    Without a temporary residence permit, you cannot live long-term in this city.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

暂住temporary residence
暂zàntemporary住zhùreside
偏正Modifier + head
证zhèngcertificate

暂 means temporary, 住 means reside, and 证 marks a certificate.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 暫; 暂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
斬
斬zhǎn暫zàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 暫 has 日 (day) for the meaning and 斬 (zhǎn) for the sound; the simplified 暂 is a later shorthand.

Open 暂 →

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.

Open 住 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →

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