占星术 (zhàn xīng shù) — astrology

Definition

noun
astrology

Examples

  • 占星术，。
    Tā duì zhàn xīng shù hěn gǎn xìng qù, jīng cháng kàn xīng zuò yùn shì.
    She is very interested in astrology and often reads horoscopes.
  • 占星术。
    Hěn duō rén rèn wéi zhàn xīng shù zhǐ shì yì zhǒng yú lè fāng shì.
    Many people think astrology is just a form of entertainment.
  • ，占星术。
    Zài gǔ dài, zhàn xīng shù céng bèi shì wéi yì mén zhòng yào de xué wèn.
    In ancient times, astrology was regarded as an important field of knowledge.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

占星divine stars
占zhàndivine星xīngstar
动宾Verb + object
术shùart

占 stars is the practice, and 术 is the art or system of it.

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.

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Open 星 →

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 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet, path
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú術shù
Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.

Open 术 →

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