房租
fángzū
In Chinese, the English phrase 'rent' can be expressed using several terms depending on the context, with the default form being 房租 (fángzū). Wiktionary also lists 租金 (zūjīn) and 租價 / 租价 (zūjià).
Meaning: payment made by a tenant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 房租 | fángzū |
| 租金 | zūjīn |
| 租價 / 租价 | zūjià |
While 房租 focuses on the context of residential housing, 租金 is a general term for any rental payment (such as for equipment or vehicles) and emphasizes the monetary amount. 租价 (also written as 租價) refers to the rental price or rate, typically used in commercial or business settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 房租 is composed of 房, meaning house or room and 租, meaning rent.
Which one should you use?
房租 specifically refers to rent for houses or rooms. In contrast, 租金 is a more general term for any kind of rental payment, such as for vehicles or equipment and focuses on the monetary amount. Finally, 租价 is used to describe the specific price or rate set for renting something, often in a commercial context.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
fángzū
Did you know?
- In China, it is common for the 房租 to be paid every three months or every six months rather than monthly.
- The character 租 originally depicted a government tax or a tribute paid to a ruler rather than a private commercial lease.
- When negotiating 房租, it is common to discuss the 'deposit' using the term 押金, which literally means 'pressed gold' or 'secured money'.
Examples in context
- 你应该提前付租金。You should pay your rent in advance.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 租金 regarding paying in advance.Tatoeba #1780763 by sadhen, translation #9581 by CK
- 一個月的租金多少？How much is the rent per month?This sentence shows how to ask about the monthly amount of 租金.Tatoeba #4262611 by egg0073, translation #24050 by CK
- 東家說要提高租金。The landlord says he wants to raise the rent.This sentence illustrates a landlord's intention to raise the 租金.Tatoeba #5571076 by verdastelo9604, translation #275579 by CK
- 你每个月交多少房租？How much rent do you pay per month?
- 我每个月交2000元的房租。I pay 2000 yuan in rent per month.
- 房钱什么时候交？When do we pay the rent?
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing moving to a new apartment.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，你知道新公寓的房租吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ zhīdào xīn gōngyù de fángzū ma?Zhiqiang, do you know the rent for the new apartment?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我知道，房租大概是三千块。Wǒ zhīdào, fángzū dàgài shì sānqiān kuài.I know, the rent is about three thousand dollars.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那对我们来说有点贵。Nà duì wǒmen lái shuō yǒudiǎn guì.That is a bit expensive for us.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没错，我们要再找找看。Méi cuò, wǒmen yào zài zhǎo zhǎo kàn.True, we should keep looking.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rent” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
