居 (jū) — to reside, to live (in a place; formal); to occupy (a position, a role); to claim, to assert (credit, achievement)
Definition
A formal, written verb meaning 'to reside' or 'to occupy' (a place or position) — rare in everyday speech, where 住 is used instead. Also used in set phrases like 居功 to claim credit.
verb
to resideto live (in a place; formal)to occupy (a position, a role)to claimto assert (credit, achievement)
Easily confused
- 届jièlook-alike(classifier) for periodic events (meetings, competitions, elections) and graduating classes
- 锯jūsound-alike(noun) saw (tool)
- 层cénglook-alike(classifier) for floors, stories, layers
- 俱jūsound-alikecompletely, entirely; all (literary)
- 屑xièlook-alike(bound form) fragments, scraps, shavings
- 鞠jūsound-alike(literary) to rear, to bring up
Examples
- ，。Tā jū yú shàng hǎi, dàn jīng cháng chū chāi.He resides in Shanghai but often travels on business.
- 居。Zhè wèi xué zhě jū xué shù jiè de zhòng yào dì wèi.This scholar occupies an important position in academia.
- 。Tā cóng bù jū gōng zì ào.He never claims credit and becomes arrogant.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
居 is built from 尸 as the meaning part and 古 (gǔ) as the sound part.
Appears in
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