星 (xīng) · star; heavenly body

Meanings

1 star; heavenly body
2 celebrity

Examples

HSK 1

今天星期几？

Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?

What day of the week is it?

HSK 4

她是一位大明星。

Tā shì yī wèi dà míngxīng.

She is a big celebrity.

HSK 5

天上有很多星星。

Tiānshang yǒu hěnduō xīngxing.

There are many stars in the sky.

Tips

usage

星 is essential for daily life: 星期 (week - 星期一 Monday through 星期日 Sunday), 星星 (stars), 明星 (celebrity), 卫星 (satellite), 五星 (five-star). Also in Chinese zodiac: 星座 (zodiac sign).

Components

radical

日 rì

sun; day

Top 日 depicts the sun, here standing in for 'a celestial body that shines'. The original form had three 日 (晶) above 生, picturing a cluster of starlights. The simplified shape kept just one 日 to represent the light-emitting body in the night sky.

phonetic

生 shēng

to be born; grow

Bottom 生 supplies the sound (shēng → xīng with palatal shift). 生 also adds a touch of meaning - stars are born and rise nightly, so 'the shining things that come out (生) at night' captures the imagery. Same phonetic appears in 性 (xìng), showing the regular shēng/xìng-style drift.