租约 (zū yuē) — lease (contract) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

lease (contract)

Measure word · 份

租约。
Wǒ men qiān le yí fèn zū yuē.
We signed a lease.
租约。
Zhè ge zū yuē hái yǒu sān nián dào qī.
This lease still has three years until expiration.
租约。
Fáng dōng bǎ zū yuē gěi le wǒ yí fèn.
The landlord gave me a copy of the lease.

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.

约yuēcontract

租 'rent' and 约 'contract' combine for a lease agreement.

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.

禾且租

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

且

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

租 uses 禾 (grain) because land rent was paid in grain, and 且 shows the pronunciation.

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 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

勺

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

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