占

• Pinyin: zhàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 占 = 卜 (divination) + 口 (mouth), originally 'to divine by reading cracks'

Meaning

To occupy; to take up; to account for. To hold or take possession of a space, position, or proportion.

Has several related meanings: (1) to physically occupy a space — 占座位 (save/occupy a seat); (2) to take up or account for a proportion — 占百分之五十 (account for 50%); (3) to seize or take — 占便宜 (take advantage of someone). Very common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

1. 这张桌子占了太多地方。 This table takes up too much space.
2. 请不要占别人的座位。 Please don't take someone else's seat.
3. 学生占了全校人数的一半。 Students account for half of the school's total population.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, descriptions

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 不要占着位子不坐。(Don't occupy a seat without sitting in it.)
• 这个工作占了我很多时间。(This job takes up a lot of my time.)

Don't Say

• 我占了他的便宜很好。(Don't boast about 占便宜 — it implies taking unfair advantage and has a negative connotation.)

Origin & History

Oracle bone script shows a crack in a divination bone, originally meaning 'to divine.' The meaning extended to 'to occupy' through the idea of claiming or possessing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal