占

占 icon

divine, observe

占 is composed of 卜 (divination) and 口 (mouth). 卜 depicts the cracks formed on a tortoise shell during divination by burning, while 口 represents speech. Thus, 占 refers to the act of observing cracks during divination and making predictions, also carrying the meaning of inspecting or observing.

Vocabulary of 占

  • 占星 (horoscope)
  • 占卦 (divination by casting lots)

Related Characters: