懂中文 Dong Chinese

租

zū

rent

Original meaning: 

land tax

Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "land tax". The meaning later shifted to "rent" and "hire".

Components
禾 meaning component

禾  Meaning component

hé

  

grain stalk

且 sound component

且  Sound component

qiě

  

moreover

Evolution

租 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
租 Clerical script Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical script

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
租 Seal script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
租 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

租  

zū

rent, lease; rental; tax; to hire; to rent; to charter; to rent out; to lease out; rent; land tax

Most common words with 租
Freq.
Word
Meaning

租

to hire

出租车

taxi

出租

to rent

房租

rent for a room or house

租金

rent