占卜

• Pinyin: zhān bǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 占 = 卜 + 口 (to divine/occupy); 卜 = 卜 (divination crack)

Meaning

Divination; fortune-telling. The practice of seeking knowledge of the future through supernatural means.

Ancient practice with deep cultural roots. Methods include: 卜卦 (casting hexagrams), 算命 (fortune-telling), 相面 (physiognomy). While often viewed as superstition today, it remains culturally significant. 占卜师 is a diviner.

Examples

1. 古代帝王在做出重大决策之前常常通过占卜来预测吉凶。 In ancient times, emperors often used divination to predict good or bad fortune before making major decisions.
2. 她对占卜很感兴趣，经常用塔罗牌给朋友算命。 She’s very interested in fortune-telling and often uses tarot cards to read fortunes for her friends.
3. 考古学家发现了刻有占卜记录的商代甲骨。 Archaeologists discovered oracle bones from the Shang dynasty carved with records of divination.

Usage Guide

Context: culture, history, spirituality

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 商朝人用龟甲占卜，询问神灵关于战争和收成的预兆。(Shang Dynasty people used tortoise shells for divination to ask spirits about omens of war and harvest.)
• 虽然现代科学发达，但占卜在某些文化中仍然有影响力。(Although modern science is advanced, divination still holds influence in some cultures.)

Don't Say

• 占卜未来一定准确 — presenting divination as factual prediction is inappropriate; it is a cultural practice, not science

Origin & History

占 (to divine/observe) + 卜 (to divine using tortoise shells)

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient origins, continuing practice

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal