About
The character "租" originates from a semantic-phonetic composition, combining the radical "禾" which signifies grain or agriculture, with the component "且" which primarily provides phonetic indication but also carried an early associative meaning related to ancestral altars and, by extension, offerings or tributes. This structure points to its original core meaning of agricultural tax or tribute, specifically a portion of the grain harvest paid to a landowner or governing authority. Over time, the conceptual framework of providing a portion of a harvest in exchange for the right to use land expanded and generalized, leading "租" to acquire its broader and now primary meanings related to leasing and renting, where a payment is made for the temporary use of property, goods, or land. This semantic shift maintained the fundamental idea of a conditional transfer based on payment while moving from a specific feudal or state obligation to a common commercial and social transaction.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我租了一辆车。
这本书是租的。
我想租一个公寓。
租金每月一千元。
你租的房子大吗？
他因为没钱所以租车。
如果你要旅行，可以租一辆自行车。
这家公司专门出租办公设备。