Definitions

lìn (verb) to rent

Etymology

Someone  working for money 

About

The character "赁", whose traditional form is "賃", is structurally composed of the semantic component "貝" (shell money, representing valuables or financial transaction) and the phonetic component "任" (to assign a duty). This construction points directly to its core etymology of assigning a task or service in exchange for payment. Its original meaning centered on the concept of hiring or renting, specifically involving a contractual and compensated use of labor, services, or property. Over time, while retaining this fundamental sense of a paid temporary arrangement, its application narrowed somewhat in modern usage, becoming most commonly associated with the leasing of physical property or space, such as in the term "租赁" (to lease). The character's simplification process primarily streamlined the "貝" component to "贝", but the conceptual link between financial compensation and assigned use embedded in its components remains intact.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我租了一辆车。

Wǒ zūlìnle yī liàng chē.

I rented a car.

这间房子是来的。

Zhè jiān fángzi shì lìn lái de.

This house is rented.

居在城东的公寓。

Tā lìn jū zài chéng dōng de gōngyù.

He rents an apartment in the east of the city.

公司了一间新办公室。

Gōngsī lìnle yī jiān xīn bàngōngshì.

The company leased a new office.

合同需要双方签字。

Zūlìn hétóng xūyào shuāngfāng qiānzì.

The lease contract requires signatures from both parties.

他们以短期租的方式经营。

Tāmen yǐ duǎnqí zūlìn de fāngshì jīngyíng.

They operate on a short-term rental basis.

这套设备的金非常高昂。

Zhè tào shèbèi de lìn jīn fēicháng gāo'áng.

The rental fee for this set of equipment is very high.

此商铺的契已进行公证。

Cǐ shāngpù de lìn qì yǐ jìnxíng gōngzhèng.

The lease deed for this shop has been notarized.