TongTong
Sign in

占用 (zhàn yòng) — to occupy, to take up (time, space, or a resource)

Definition

Neutral verb for taking up time, space, or a resource (often unintentionally, e.g. blocking a lane). 占领 is forceful or military; 占有 adds a sense of ownership.

verb
to occupyto take up (time, space, or a resource)

Examples

  • 占用。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù zhàn yòng le wǒ men hěn duō shí jiān.
    This project took up a lot of our time.
  • 占用。
    Qǐng bú yào zhàn yòng jǐn jí tōng dào.
    Please don't block the emergency lane.
  • 占用，。
    Xiàn lù zhèng zài bèi zhàn yòng, qǐng shāo hòu zài bō.
    The line is busy, please call again later.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

占zhàntake up
用yònguse

Both 占 and 用 bring the idea of taking something up and making use of it, so the word means to occupy.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 佔; 占 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn佔zhàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 佔 has a person part 亻 and a sound part 占; the simplified 占 is a later abbreviation.

Open 占 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.