长住 (cháng zhù) — to reside long-term; to live somewhere for an extended period

Definition

长住 (cháng) means to live somewhere for a long time as one's base, not just visit. Contrast with 住: 住 is neutral; 长住 emphasizes extended or permanent residence.

verb
to reside long-termto live somewhere for an extended period
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，长住。
    Tuì xiū hòu, tā jué dìng zài xiāng xia cháng zhù.
    After retiring, he decided to live long-term in the countryside.
  • 长住。
    Zhè jiā jiǔ diàn yǒu cháng zhù de kè rén.
    This hotel has guests who stay long-term.
  • 长住。
    Tā yǐ jīng zài běi jīng cháng zhù le sān nián.
    He has been living in Beijing long-term for three years.

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.

长chánglong
住zhùreside

长 gives long and 住 gives reside, so the word means to reside for a long time.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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 →

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