星星
xīngxing/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/
The English word "star" is translated into Chinese as 星星 (xīngxing).
In a general or poetic sense, 星星 is used to refer to the stars seen in the sky. For a strict scientific or astronomical context, where you need to specify a self-luminous body to distinguish it from a planet or other celestial objects, the term 恒星 is used.
Meaning: (astronomy) a luminous celestial body made of plasma (noun)
Which one should you use?
The reduplicated form 星星 is the common way to refer to stars in a general or poetic sense. In contrast, the single syllable 星 is typically used as a bound morpheme in compound words. For precise scientific communication, 恒星 is used to mean a "fixed star".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, star is commonly referred to as 星.
How does it change in a sentence?
The reduplicated form 星星 is the common way to refer to stars in a general or poetic sense, whereas the single syllable 星 is typically used as a bound morpheme in compound words.
How do you pronounce it?
xīngxing
When do people say it?
The phrase 今晚看星星 means "Look at the stars tonight", where 看 means "look".
Did you know?
- The character 星 can also mean 'period' or 'week' in the word 星期, treating a seven-day cycle as a sequence of celestial markers.
- Chinese astronomy historically categorized 'guest stars' 客星 to describe supernovae or novae that suddenly appeared where no star was before.
- The reduplicated form 星星 sounds much more 'childlike' or 'cute' than the single syllable 星, and is the version most often used when speaking to children.
Examples in context
- 那顆星星可以用裸眼看到。That star is visible to the naked eye.This sentence shows how to use 星星 regarding visibility.Tatoeba #2757108 by cienias, translation #1020526 by mutskt
- 那儿的小星星是所有星星里最亮的。That tiny star there is the brightest out of all the stars.This sentence demonstrates using 星星 to describe the brightness of a specific star.Tatoeba #10002050 by GlossaMatik, translation #11272763 by Aphima
- 星星沒有被看到。Not a star was to be seen.This sentence shows a way to use 星星 in a sentence about stars not being seen.Tatoeba #778034 by Martha, translation #271535 by CM
- 小孩子都喜欢看星星。Children all love to look at the stars.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A young couple is stargazing in the countryside.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看，那颗星星好亮。Nǐ kàn, nà kē xīngxing hǎo liàng.Look, that star is so bright.
- 伟 Wei我也看到了，很多星星都在闪烁。Wǒ yě kàndào le, hěnduō xīngxing dōu zài shǎnshuò.I see them too, many stars are twinkling.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这里的星星比城市里多多了。Zhèlǐ de xīngxing bǐ chéngshì lǐ duō duō le.There are many more stars here than in the city.
- 伟 Wei没错，真的很美。Méicuò, zhēn de hěn měi.That's right, it's really beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 星星, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
