<p>When reading as <strong>zhàn</strong>, the word meaning <em>to occupy/seize</em> has historically been written with both <a href="https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?quote_code=QTAwMTE5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「佔」</a> and <a href="https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?quote_code=QTAwNDQ2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「占」</a>.</p>
<p>The following may give an indication of the preferences of the spellings in various Traditional-Character-using areas, based on how publicly-available dictionaries record vocabulary:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Taiwan: Records primary entries under 「占」, and lists 「佔」 as a variant; see e.g. <a href="https://dict.concised.moe.edu.tw/dictView.jsp?ID=29847&amp;q=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《教育部國語辭典簡編本》占領</a></p>
</li>
<li><p>Hong Kong: Records primary entries under 「佔」, and lists 「占」 as a variant; see e.g. <a href="https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-can/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《粵語審音配詞字庫》</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>佔：佔據, 霸佔, 佔盡先機，佔便宜, 佔領, 佔地, 佔有, 侵佔<br />
占：同「佔」字</p>
</blockquote>
<p>or <a href="https://words.hk/zidin/wan/?q=%E4%BD%94" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《粵典》佔</a></p>
</li>
<li><p>South Korea (bonus): Records entries under 「占」; see e.g. <a href="https://hanja.dict.naver.com/#/entry/ccko/42710b9fce0c4b2a8e8f9499541c5a49" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Naver 辭典: 占領</a></p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T06:52:55.147Z
I just want to add, I checked my hongkong published dictionary and it listed both as equally acceptable (佔優勢。∥也作「占」。)  Perhaps it is part of the modern internet, but I do think alternate official characters are intermingling a lot in the current day （＾_＾）
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T06:57:25.930Z
@zagrycha In this answer, I made sure to mention what the primary entry (the entry where the full definition is given) was. If your dictionary is a 詞典 (not 字典), you can check as well.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T07:11:53.707Z
sorry for the confusion, and to be clear I am not at all disagreeing with your main post.  Yes it is a 詞典, and this dictionary usually does not list alternate characters at all, unless it considers them equally accptable to use-- things that are just considered general 異體字 get no mention in that dictionary at all-- not a  or 盐 to be seen even though I see both in hk, they aren't recognized enough.  Anyway it was just an anecdotal note I thought was interesting of things mixing （＾_＾）
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T06:38:31.367Z
2023-10-08T06:38:31.367Z
dROOOze
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/1961" rel="nofollow noreferrer">占</a>  /zhan1/</p>
<blockquote>
<p>divine; practise divination.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>to divine</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>As in <a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/word/14339" rel="nofollow noreferrer">占卜</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/850" rel="nofollow noreferrer">佔</a> /zhan4/</p>
<blockquote>
<p>occupy; seize; take possession of</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>As in <a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/word/8805" rel="nofollow noreferrer">佔領</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;Occupy&quot; and &quot;seize&quot; are human activities, therefore, it has radical: 亻 (human)</p>
<p>The two characters are only related by having similar phonetics since 占 is the phonetic component of 佔</p>
<p>Notice: 占 is also used as the simplified character of 佔, Therefore, 佔領 in simplified Chinese would be 占領, and it is read as  /zhan4 ling3/ not 占領 /zhan1 ling3/</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T06:35:15.213Z
2023-10-08T17:08:08.513Z
2023-10-08T17:08:08.513Z
Tang Ho
<p>In this post, I am discussing characters in traditional writing.</p>
<p>When reading as zhan4, I wonder what the difference between 佔 and 占 is. Is there a division in use by meaning? Or, is one totally preferred over the other?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-08T08:16:46.170Z
佔 is not used in simplified Chinese.
fefe
<meaning><usage>
Difference between 佔 and 占
# Difference between 佔 and 占

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-08)

In this post, I am discussing characters in traditional writing.

When reading as zhan4, I wonder what the difference between 佔 and 占 is. Is there a division in use by meaning? Or, is one totally preferred over the other?

**Tags:** meaning, usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 佔 is not used in simplified Chinese.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-10-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

When reading as **zhàn**, the word meaning *to occupy/seize* has historically been written with both [「佔」](https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?quote_code=QTAwMTE5) and [「占」](https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/variants/rbt/word_attribute.rbt?quote_code=QTAwNDQ2).

The following may give an indication of the preferences of the spellings in various Traditional-Character-using areas, based on how publicly-available dictionaries record vocabulary:

* Taiwan: Records primary entries under 「占」, and lists 「佔」 as a variant; see e.g. [《教育部國語辭典簡編本》占領](https://dict.concised.moe.edu.tw/dictView.jsp?ID=29847&q=1)
* Hong Kong: Records primary entries under 「佔」, and lists 「占」 as a variant; see e.g. [《粵語審音配詞字庫》](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-can/):

  > 佔：佔據, 霸佔, 佔盡先機，佔便宜, 佔領, 佔地, 佔有, 侵佔  
  > 占：同「佔」字

  or [《粵典》佔](https://words.hk/zidin/wan/?q=%E4%BD%94)
* South Korea (bonus): Records entries under 「占」; see e.g. [Naver 辭典: 占領](https://hanja.dict.naver.com/#/entry/ccko/42710b9fce0c4b2a8e8f9499541c5a49)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I just want to add, I checked my hongkong published dictionary and it listed both as equally acceptable (佔優勢。∥也作「占」。)  Perhaps it is part of the modern internet, but I do think alternate official characters are intermingling a lot in the current day （＾_＾）  
> **username_2**: @username_3 In this answer, I made sure to mention what the primary entry (the entry where the full definition is given) was. If your dictionary is a 詞典 (not 字典), you can check as well.  
> **username_3**: sorry for the confusion, and to be clear I am not at all disagreeing with your main post.  Yes it is a 詞典, and this dictionary usually does not list alternate characters at all, unless it considers them equally accptable to use-- things that are just considered general 異體字 get no mention in that dictionary at all-- not a  or 盐 to be seen even though I see both in hk, they aren't recognized enough.  Anyway it was just an anecdotal note I thought was interesting of things mixing （＾_＾）  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-10-08. Score: 0

[占](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/1961) /zhan1/

> divine; practise divination.

> to divine

> As in [占卜](https://cantoneseplus.com/word/14339)

[佔](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/850) /zhan4/

> occupy; seize; take possession of

> As in [佔領](https://cantoneseplus.com/word/8805)

"Occupy" and "seize" are human activities, therefore, it has radical: 亻 (human)

The two characters are only related by having similar phonetics since 占 is the phonetic component of 佔

Notice: 占 is also used as the simplified character of 佔, Therefore, 佔領 in simplified Chinese would be 占領, and it is read as /zhan4 ling3/ not 占領 /zhan1 ling3/


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