Definition
主人 (zhǔrén) is a general noun for the person who owns or controls something: a property owner, a pet owner, a host of guests, or a master of servants. Among the listed siblings, 房东 (fángdōng) specifically means 'landlord' (owner of a rental property), and 东道主 (dōngdàozhǔ) is a formal term for the host of an event or competition. 老板 (lǎobǎn) means 'boss' in a workplace, not an owner in the personal sense.
noun
owner (of property or a pet)host (of guests or a party)master (of servants or animals)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
- 主任zhǔ rènsound-alikedirector, head (of an office, department, or committee)
Examples
- 主人。Zhè liàng chē de zhǔ rén shì wǒ de péngyou.The owner of this car is my friend.
- 主人。Wǎnhuì zhǔ rén zhǔnbèi le yǐnliào.The host of the party prepared drinks.
- ,主人。Gǔdài, zhǔ rén duì púrén yāoqiú hěn yángé.In ancient times, masters had strict demands for servants.
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