‘暂住’ (zàn zhù) is a verb meaning 'to reside temporarily' — literally combining 暂 (zàn), meaning 'for a short time' or 'temporary', and 住 (zhù), meaning 'to live' or 'to reside'. It emphasizes the provisional, non-permanent nature of one’s stay, often implying official registration or formal acknowledgment of temporary residence, such as with local police or community offices in China.

This term is commonly used in administrative, legal, or bureaucratic contexts — for example, when registering at a local public security bureau (PSB) as a non-local resident staying in a city for work, study, or family visits. It differs from casual expressions like ‘借住’ (jiè zhù, to stay temporarily at someone’s place) by carrying an official or procedural connotation. While it can appear in spoken language, it is most frequent in documents, notices, and formal speech related to residency management.