驻

• Pinyin: zhù
• Hanzi breakdown: 驻 = 马 (horse) + 主 (phonetic), originally about cavalry stationed somewhere

Meaning

To be stationed; to be posted; to reside in an official capacity.

Primarily used for military troops, diplomatic personnel, or correspondents stationed at a location. Also appears in words like 驻扎 (to be garrisoned), 驻华 (stationed in China), and 常驻 (permanently stationed). Formal and official in tone.

Examples

1. 这位记者已经驻外报道国际新闻超过十年了。 This journalist has been stationed abroad reporting international news for over ten years.
2. 部队将在边境地区驻扎至少三个月。 The troops will be garrisoned in the border area for at least three months.
3. 各国驻华大使馆都集中在北京的使馆区。 Embassies of various countries in China are concentrated in Beijing's embassy district.

Usage Guide

Context: military, diplomacy, journalism

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 他被派驻到日本工作。(He was stationed in Japan for work.)
• 联合国维和部队驻扎在该地区。(UN peacekeeping forces are stationed in the area.)

Don't Say

• 我驻在北京。(Too formal for personal residence — use 住 instead of 驻)

Origin & History

A phono-semantic compound with 马 (horse) as the radical, originally indicating cavalry stopping at a location. 主 serves as the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal