Meaning and Usage
"占める" (しめる) primarily means "to occupy" or "to take up" a portion of something, such as space, time, or a role. It is often used to describe proportions or parts of a whole, like market share, time allocation, or positions within a group.
Common Contexts
You will frequently see "占める" in business or statistical contexts, such as sales percentages or demographic shares. It is also used in everyday conversation to describe how much space or time something occupies.
Collocations and Patterns
- 売上を占める: to account for sales, used when discussing proportions of sales or revenue.
- 時間を占める: to take up time, often used when describing how much time an activity or topic consumes.
- 役割を占める: to hold a role or position, used when describing someone's role in a group or organization.
Register and Nuance
"占める" is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is a common verb in written and spoken Japanese.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "占める" with "締める" (also read しめる), which means "to tighten" or "to fasten." Pay attention to context and kanji to avoid this confusion.