Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
占
zhàn, zhān
Description
“占”有两个读音。读 zhàn 的时候，意思是占有、占据，比如占位子。读 zhān 的时候，意思是占卜，就是预测未来。
"占" has two pronunciations. When read as zhàn, it means to occupy or take up, like 占位子 (occupy a seat). When read as zhān, it means to divine or predict the future.
Meanings
占zhàn
to occupy; to take up; to make up (a proportion)
这本书占了很多地方。
This book takes up a lot of space.
占zhàn
to seize; to hold (a position)
请不要占别人的座位。
Please don't take someone else's seat.
占zhān
to divine; to tell fortunes
古人用龟壳来占卜。
Ancient people used turtle shells for divination.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
占 originally meant fortune-telling (zhān); the sense 'occupy' (zhàn) developed later.
- Nuance
占 zhàn often implies taking space, share, or position, sometimes forcefully.
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