住在 (zhùzài) means 'to live at' or 'to reside in.' It is commonly used to indicate one's place of residence, followed by a location such as a city or an address. This phrase is essential for everyday conversations about where someone lives.
HSK 3, 16 strokes, Hard
zhùzài(zhu4zai4) T4
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May 27, 2026
住在zhùzài(zhu4zai4)
住在 (zhùzài) means 'to live at' or 'to reside in.' It is commonly used to indicate one's place of residence, followed by a location such as a city or an address. This phrase is essential for everyday conversations about where someone lives.
Strokes16Frequency#—DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, where family and community are highly valued, the concept of where one lives often reflects social ties and familial connections. Many people live with extended family members, emphasizing the importance of harmonious living arrangements.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person '住' (live) at a beautiful house '在' (at). Picture them happily waving from their front porch. The character '住' has a 'roof' radical, symbolizing a home, while '在' indicates 'at' or 'in,' helping you visualize living in a specific place.
About 住在
住在Simplified
16Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L3ElementaryHSKKL2CEFRA2
Podcast: 住在
Podcast: 住在
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AI Study Notes for 住在
Quick Contrast
居住在 (jūzhùzài) - use 住在 for more casual or everyday contexts, while 居住在 is slightly more formal.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person '住' (live) at a beautiful house '在' (at). Picture them happily waving from their front porch. The character '住' has a 'roof' radical, symbolizing a home, while '在' indicates 'at' or 'in,' helping you visualize living in a specific place.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse '住在' with '住' alone, which simply means 'to live' without specifying a location. Additionally, remember to use the correct tone; '住' is pronounced with a falling tone (4th tone), while '在' is pronounced with a neutral tone. Common collocations include '住在家' (live at home) or '住在城市' (live in a city).
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 3, focus on using '住在' in sentences to describe your living situation or ask about others'. Connect it with vocabulary related to locations, such as '城市' (city) or '家' (home), to expand your conversational skills.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, where family and community are highly valued, the concept of where one lives often reflects social ties and familial connections. Many people live with extended family members, emphasizing the importance of harmonious living arrangements.
Common Mistakes
Learners often forget to use '在' and may say '我住家' instead of '我住在家,' which sounds incomplete. Another common error is mispronouncing the tones, which can change the meaning entirely.
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Pronunciation of 住在
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Cultural Notes for 住在
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, where family and community are highly valued, the concept of where one lives often reflects social ties and familial connections. Many people live with extended family members, emphasizing the importance of harmonious living arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions about 住在
You can say '你住在哪里?' (Nǐ zhù zài nǎlǐ?), which means 'Where do you live?'
'住在' is typically used for more permanent living situations. For temporary stays, you might use '住' with a context like '我住酒店' (Wǒ zhù jiǔdiàn) meaning 'I am staying at a hotel.'
'我在家住' is not the standard way to express this; the correct phrase is '我住在家' (Wǒ zhù zài jiā), meaning 'I live at home.'
