首 shǒu — head; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poems
我很喜欢这首歌。Wǒ hěn xǐ huan zhè shǒu gē.I really like this song.
Common words: 首先 (shǒu xiān)、首都 (shǒu dū)、首次 (shǒu cì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "occasion"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "occasion", including 首 (shǒu), 专 (zhuān). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "occasion" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 首 (shǒu), 专 (zhuān) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shǒu, zhuān — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 首 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 首 shǒuhead; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poemsUseful words: 首先, 首都
- 专 zhuānfor a particular person; occasion; purpose; focused on one thing; special; expertUseful words: 专家, 专业
Common words for these 2 "occasion" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 首 (shǒu) — so "occasion" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
首先shǒu xiānfirst of all; in the first place首都shǒu dūcapital (city)首次shǒu cìfirst; first time; for the first time专家zhuān jiāexpert; specialist专业zhuān yèspecialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university); major专门zhuān ménspecialized; dedicated (to a particular field or purpose); specially; specifically (for a particular purpose)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "occasion".
专 zhuān — for a particular person; occasion; purpose; focused on one thing; special; expert
他是一位电脑专家。Tā shì yí wèi diàn nǎo zhuān jiā.He is a computer expert.
Common words: 专家 (zhuān jiā)、专业 (zhuān yè)、专门 (zhuān mén)
All 2 characters
Open 首、专 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.