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寄宿 (jì sù) — to lodge; to board (typically at a school or with a host family)

Definition

"To lodge / to board" — emphasizes staying as a guest, tenant, or student away from home (寄宿学校 "boarding school"), unlike 住 which just means "to live" somewhere in general.

verb
to lodgeto board (typically at a school or with a host family)

Examples

  • 寄宿。
    Tā qù nián kāi shǐ jì sù zài xué xiào.
    He started boarding at school last year.
  • 寄宿。
    Wǒ zhù zài yí gè jì sù jiā tíng lǐ.
    I live in a homestay family.
  • 寄宿。
    Wǒ men jì sù zài péng you jiā.
    We lodged at a friend's house.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

寄jìlodge
宿sùstay

寄 and 宿 both concern staying somewhere, so together they mean to lodge or board.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánhouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
奇
奇qí寄jì
Same sound today

The 宀 part shows a roof, and 奇 gives the sound. Together they point to staying or lodging away from home.

Open 寄 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 人人rénperson
  • 囗囗wéibamboo mat

The shape comes from an old drawing of 人, a person, resting on a mat.

Open 宿 →
Appears in
AccommodationSchool & Education

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