Hanzi Writer

How to Write 占 (zhān/zhàn) — Meaning “to occupy / to account for / to divine”

zhān/zhàn HSK Level 2 5 strokes Radical: ⺊

占 (zhān/zhàn) means "to occupy / to account for / to divine" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical ⺊, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 1.8/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 4% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 占领 (zhàn lǐng), 占有 (zhàn yǒu), 占卜 (zhān bǔ).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 占 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Stroke order practice for 占 - zhān/zhàn

Practice Writing 占 (zhān/zhàn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 占 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 占

The character 占 (zhān/zhàn) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical ⺊ is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhān/zhàn (占) Mean in Chinese?

占 means to occupy / to account for / to divine.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: zhān, zhàn.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 占 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character占
Pinyinzhān / zhàn (zhan)
Meaningto occupy / to account for / to divine
Strokes5
Radical⺊
HSK Level2
Difficulty1.8/5

Origin of 占

The character 占 combines ⺊ (divination) and 口 (mouth), depicting a diviner speaking the interpretation of an oracle bone crack. Ancient divination involved reading cracks on heated bones; the mouth symbol represents uttering the prediction, hence the original meaning 'to divine.' Over time, it extended to 'to occupy' or 'to account for,' as divination results 'take up' a person's attention or position.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a fortune teller with a big mouth (口) standing under a cracked oracle bone (⺊), loudly claiming he 'occupies' the best corner of the market to divine your future.

Common Words with 占

占领 zhàn lǐng
occupy (territory)
占有 zhàn yǒu
possess
占卜 zhān bǔ
divination / to divine
占星 zhān xīng
Astrology

Example Sentences

经过顽强战斗，战士们终于占领了那个制高点。

jīng guò wán qiáng zhàn dòu zhàn shì men zhōng yú zhàn lǐng le nà ge zhì gāo diǎn

After a tenacious battle, the soldiers finally occupied that commanding height.

这种产品在市场上占有了极大的份额。

zhè zhǒng chǎn pǐn zài shì chǎng shàng zhàn yǒu le jí dà de fèn é

This product holds a very large share of the market.

在古代，人们习惯通过占卜来预知吉凶。

zài gǔ dài rén men xí guàn tōng guò zhān bǔ lái yù zhī jí xiōng

In ancient times, people used to predict good or bad fortune through divination.

占星学是研究天体运行对人类生活影响的学问。

zhān xīng xué shì yán jiū tiān tǐ yùn xíng duì rén lèi shēng huó yǐng xiǎng de xué wèn

Astrology is the study of how the movements of celestial bodies influence human life.

Stroke order practice for 占 - zhān/zhàn

Practice Writing 占 (zhān/zhàn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 占 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 占

占 has the radical ⺊ (divination) on top, which represents ancient fortune-telling methods like cracking bones. Below is 口 (mouth), suggesting speaking or announcing the divination result. Together, they show the original meaning of performing divination and giving a verbal prediction.

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