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租赁 (zū lìn) — to rent, to lease (property, equipment, etc.)

Definition

租赁 is a formal/business term covering both renting and leasing, often used in contracts. Unlike everyday 租, it implies a longer-term, written agreement, and 出租 emphasizes the owner/lessor side.

verb
to rentto lease (property, equipment, etc.)

Examples

  • 租赁。
    Wǒ men zài zhè ge chéng shì zū lìn le yí tào gōng yù.
    We rented an apartment in this city.
  • 租赁。
    Gōng sī zū lìn le sān tái dǎ yìn jī.
    The company leased three printers.
  • 租赁。
    Tā zū lìn le yí liàng qì chē qù lǚ xíng.
    He rented a car to go on a trip.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

租zūto rent
赁lìnto lease

租 and 赁 both mean to rent, so together they express leasing.

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě租zū
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.

Open 租 →

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 賃; 赁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
任
任rèn賃lìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賃 shows 貝 (shell, money) beside 任, linked to duty or employment, for money paid for hire or rent. Simplified 赁 is a later shorthand.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Business & Commerce

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