Chinese word

占座

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhàn zuò

Meaning

  • verbsave a seat

Example

请不要在图书馆占座。qǐng bú yào zài tú shū guǎn zhàn zuò

Please don't save seats in the library.

Illustration for 占座 (save a seat)

More examples

地铁里有人用水杯占座，让座的人很少。dì tiě lǐ yǒu rén yòng shuǐ bēi zhàn zuò ràng zuò de rén hén shǎo

Someone is using a cup to save a seat on the subway, and few people give up their seats.

Core concept

An empty seat is treated as occupied because a person or belonging has marked it for later use.

Common phrases

  • 占座位zhàn zuò wèi

    save a seat

  • 别占座bié zhàn zuò

    don't save seats

  • 用包占座yòng bāo zhàn zuò

    use a bag to save a seat

Similar words

占位zhàn wèi: Occupy a place or spot ahead of time with a person or belonging.
占座位zhàn zuò wèi: Sit in a seat early so the place stays yours.
留座liú zuò: Reserve a seat for a return visit by leaving a belonging there while away.
抢座qiǎng zuò: Grab a sought-after seat quickly before anyone else takes it.

Definition in Chinese

在公共场所先用身体或物品占住座位以保留位置的行为zài gōng gòng cháng suǒ xiān yòng shēn tǐ huò wù pǐn zhàn zhù zuò wèi yǐ bǎo liú wèi zhì de xíng wéi

Word origin

占座 (zhànzuò, "save a seat") combines 占 (zhàn, "occupy") and 座 (zuò, "seat"), so it means occupying a seat in advance to keep it for later.

Usage tips

  • In English, holding a place for a friend often sounds neutral, while this Chinese verb can sound critical when belongings occupy shared seating.

Other meanings

  • save a spotverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word