鹊巢鸠占 — “To forcibly occupy another person's home, property, or position”

鹊巢鸠占 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to forcibly occupy another person's home, property, or position”. To usurp someone else's place or possessions. Literally, “A dove occupies a magpie's nest”.

Frequency

鹊巢鸠占 Pronunciation and Pinyin

鹊巢鸠占 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
鹊	què	13	magpie
巢	cháo	11	nest, den, hideout
鸠	jiū	7	dove or pigeon
占	zhàn	5	occupy, divine, or estimate

Example Sentence with 鹊巢鸠占

这家公司借用了别人的场地办公，结果到期后却鹊巢鸠占，赖着不走。

This company borrowed another's venue for their office, but when the term expired, they acted like a dove occupying a magpie's nest, refusing to leave.

Origin and Story of 鹊巢鸠占

The idiom "Que Chao Jiu Zhan" (鹊巢鸠占) originates from "The Classic of Poetry" (Shijing), one of China's earliest collections of poems. It is found in the poem "Zhao Nan: Que Chao" (Magpie's Nest), which describes: "The magpie builds its nest, but the dove dwells in it; when the maiden marries and comes to her new home, a hundred chariots accompany her."

Originally, the phrase symbolized a woman marrying into a new family and settling down in her husband's home, signifying her establishment in a new place. The poem was actually a commendation for a bride, likening her graceful acceptance of a new home to a dove finding a ready-made nest.

Over time, however, the meaning of the idiom evolved. It came to be used in a negative sense, metaphorically referring to someone who forcibly takes over or wrongfully occupies another person's dwelling, property, or position, implying an act of usurpation or unjust seizure.