住
zhù
Why 'to live somewhere' and 'to hold tight' share one character: 住
The picture Something in motion sticks to one spot and stops coming loose.
Where the picture shows up in 住
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stay stuck to one home
我住在公司附近。
wǒ zhù zài gōngsī fùjìn
I live near the office.
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stay put for a while
您住几号房？
nín zhù jǐ hào fáng
Which room are you staying in?
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stuck in your hand
快抓住他！
kuài zhuā zhù tā
Quick, grab hold of him!
The 住 in 抓住 adds the result: you grabbed it and it didn't slip away.
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won't stick in your head
这个词我记不住。
zhège cí wǒ jì bu zhù
I just can't remember this word.
记不住 is memorizing that refuses to stick.
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words stuck in your throat
他的话把我问住了。
tā de huà bǎ wǒ wèn zhù le
What he said left me speechless.