舍 shě / shè — give up; abandon; residence
学生们住在学校的宿舍里。Xué sheng men zhù zài xué xiào de sù shè lǐ.The students live in the school dormitory.
Common words: 宿舍 (sù shè)、舍不得 (shě bu de)、舍得 (shě de)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "residence"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "residence", including 舍 (shě / shè), 宅 (zhái), 寓 (yù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "residence" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 舍 (shě / shè), 宅 (zhái), 寓 (yù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shě, shè, zhái, yù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 舍 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 舍 shě / shègive up; abandon; residenceUseful words: 宿舍, 舍不得
- 宅 zháiresidenceUseful words: 住宅, 宅子
- 寓 yùreside; residenceUseful words: 公寓, 寓言
Common words for these 3 "residence" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 舍 (shě / shè) — so "residence" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
宿舍sù shèdormitory; dorm room; living quarters; hostel舍不得shě bu deto hate to do sth; to hate to part with; to begrudge舍得shě deto be willing to part with sth住宅zhù zháiresidence; dwelling; abode宅子zhái zihouse; residence家宅jiā zháihome; residence; house公寓gōng yùapartment building; block of flats (may be a public housing block or a condominium etc) (寓言yù yánfable; allegory; parable寓意yù yìmoral (of a story); lesson to be learned; implication; message
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "residence".
宅 zhái — residence
这是一座古老的大宅子。Zhè shì yí zuò gǔ lǎo de dà zhái zi.This is an old, large residence.
Common words: 住宅 (zhù zhái)、宅子 (zhái zi)、家宅 (jiā zhái)
寓 yù — reside; residence
这个童话故事寓意深刻。Zhè ge tóng huà gù shi yù yì shēn kè.This fairy tale carries a profound meaning.
Common words: 公寓 (gōng yù)、寓言 (yù yán)、寓意 (yù yì)
All 3 characters
Open 舍、宅、寓 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.