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Kotomora

占

fortune-telling, divining, forecasting, occupy, hold, have, get, take

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 1,000Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • セン

Kun'yomi

  • し.める
  • うらな.う

Nanori

  • うら
  • しむ
  • じめ

Meaning

占 centers on the idea of claiming or reading something: physically occupying a space or holding a position, and metaphorically divining or forecasting by interpreting signs. The fortune-telling sense is an extension of taking a reading or seizing meaning from symbols.

Most common words using 占

20 of 135
  • 占めるしめる
    N3

    to occupy; to hold

  • 独占どくせん
    N1

    monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity

  • 占いうらない
    N3

    fortune-telling; divination

  • 占領せんりょう
    N1

    occupying; having (an area) all to oneself

  • 占拠せんきょ

    occupation; taking and maintaining exclusive control (of a location)

  • 占い師うらないし
    N1

    diviner; fortune teller; soothsayer

  • 占有せんゆう

    possession; occupation; occupancy

  • 独り占めひとりじめ
    N1

    hogging; having all to oneself; monopolising; monopolizing

  • 占ううらなう
    N3

    to tell someone's fortune; to divine (the future)

  • 買い占めかいしめ

    buying up of goods; cornering (market)

  • 占星術せんせいじゅつ

    astrology

  • 占地しめじ

    Lyophyllum shimeji (species of edible mushroom)

  • 寡占かせん

    oligopoly; control of a market

  • 買い占めるかいしめる
    N1

    to buy up

  • 星占いほしうらない

    astrology; horoscope

  • 独占的どくせんてき

    monopolistic; exclusive

  • 市場占有率しじょうせんゆうりつ

    market share

  • 占領下せんりょうか
    N1

    being under military occupation

  • 独占欲どくせんよく
    N1

    possessiveness; desire to monopolize (monopolise); desire for control

  • ひとり占いひとりうらない

    divining one's own fortune

Explore all words using 占 →

Study

Etymology

占 is traditionally explained as combining 卜 (divination crack) and 口 (mouth), suggesting interpreting cracks or speaking a divination. The occupy sense may have developed from the idea of taking a position or reading.

Meaning mnemonic

The top ⺊ looks like a divination rod or a crack in a shell, and the bottom 口 is a mouth speaking the interpretation. Together they suggest fortune-telling. To remember 'occupy', imagine a fortune-teller taking over a space to give a reading.

Reading mnemonic

For セン, picture a fortune-teller sending a message through the divination crack: send -> セン, and the message occupies the air.