占 meaning and stroke order
To take possession of; to occupy; to take up
How to write 占, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 占
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to take possession of
- to occupy
- to take up
- variant of 占[zhan4]
- to observe
- to divine
How 占 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To speak 口 omens ⺊.
Radical: ⺊ (), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 占
The top part ⺊ looks like a crack on an oracle bone, and 口 (kǒu) is a mouth. Picture a mouth speaking the omen read from the crack, which gives the old meaning "to divine" (zhān).
Today 占 is mostly read zhàn and means to take up or occupy space, time, or a share of something. It appears in words like 占领 (zhànlǐng, to occupy) and 占用 (zhànyòng, to take up). Example: 这张桌子占地方。(Zhè zhāng zhuōzi zhàn dìfang.) This table takes up a lot of room.
Common mistake: Learners often use the first tone zhān for every word. Only divination words like 占卜 (zhānbǔ) use zhān, while 占领 and 占用 use fourth tone zhàn. Also do not confuse 占 with 古 (gǔ, ancient), which has a cross 十 on top instead of ⺊.
Common words with 占
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 占领 | zhànlǐng | to capture; to seize; to occupy by force | HSK 5 |
| 占有 | zhànyǒu | to have; to own | HSK 5 |
| 占据 | zhànjù | to occupy; to hold | HSK 6 |
| 占用 | zhànyòng | to occupy | HSK 7-9 |
| 占卜 | zhānbǔ | to divine | HSK 7-9 |
| 侵占 | qīnzhàn | to invade and occupy (territory) | HSK 7-9 |
| 霸占 | bàzhàn | to occupy by force; to seize | HSK 7-9 |
| 强占 | qiángzhàn | to occupy by force | HSK 7-9 |
| 独占 | dúzhàn | to have all to oneself; to monopolize | |
| 攻占 | gōngzhàn | to seize control of (an enemy position); (fig.) to take by storm | |
| 占便宜 | zhànpiányi | advantageous; favorable | |
| 占上风 | zhànshàngfēng | to take the lead; to gain the upper hand | |
| 抢占 | qiǎngzhàn | to seize (the strategic high ground) | |
| 占星 | zhānxīng | to divine by astrology; horoscope |
占 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 占
Learning 占 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 占
How many strokes are in 占?
占 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 占 mean?
占 (zhàn) means to take possession of; to occupy; to take up. A common word with it is 占领 (zhànlǐng), meaning "to capture; to seize; to occupy by force".
How do you pronounce 占?
占 is pronounced zhàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 占?
The radical of 占 is ⺊. Dictionaries list 占 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 占?
The traditional form of 占 is 佔. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 占 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 占 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 占 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say "to hold a seat" or "save a spot" with 占?
Use 占座 (zhàn zuò) or 占位子 (zhàn wèizi). For example, 帮我占个座 (bāng wǒ zhàn gè zuò) means "save me a seat."
What does 占便宜 mean?
占便宜 (zhàn piányi) means to take advantage of someone or get something for nothing. It often has a negative tone, as in 他总想占便宜 (tā zǒng xiǎng zhàn piányi), "he always wants to get something for free."