tenant
Definitions
A person who pays rent to occupy land or property owned by another
租户；房客；佃户
To occupy a property as a tenant (usually passive: 'tenanted by')
租住，承租（常用被动）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedten (hold) + -ant (one who does) = 'one who holds.' In French law a tenant was literally the person holding a piece of land — not necessarily its owner, but the one in possession of it. English narrowed this to the person who holds property by paying rent. The legal idea of 'holding' is still there: a tenant holds the right to use the place.
Root tain still carries 87 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.long-term tenant长期租户
- 2.tenant rights租户权益
- 3.evict a tenant驱逐租户
- 4.prospective tenant潜在租客
- 5.sitting tenant在租租户
Example Sentences
- 1.
The new tenant moved in on the first of the month.
- 2.
Landlords must give tenants proper notice before any inspection.
- 3.
The building has been tenanted by the same family for decades.
Easily Confused
tenant vs. landlord vs. resident: a tenant pays rent and holds the property temporarily; a landlord owns it and collects the rent; a resident simply lives somewhere (could be owner, tenant, or guest). Don't call an owner a 'tenant.'