xíngxīng: 行星 - Planet

• Keywords: 行星, xingxing, Chinese for planet, planet in Chinese, walking star, solar system in Chinese, the eight planets, 恒星, 星球, astronomy in Chinese, how to say planet in Mandarin.
• Summary: Learn the Chinese word for planet, 行星 (xíngxīng). This guide explains its literal meaning of “walking star,” which comes from ancient Chinese astronomy. We'll break down the characters, explore the cultural context of naming planets after the Five Elements, and provide over 10 practical example sentences. You'll also learn the crucial difference between a planet (行星) and a star (恒星) to avoid common mistakes.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xíngxīng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A planet; a celestial body that orbits a star.
• In a Nutshell: 行星 (xíngxīng) is the standard scientific term for a planet. The name is incredibly descriptive, literally translating to “walking star” or “traveling star.” This comes from the perspective of ancient astronomers, who observed that while most stars remained in fixed patterns, a few “wandered” across the night sky.

• 行 (xíng): This character's primary meaning is “to walk,” “to travel,” or “to move.” It's a pictograph of a crossroads, implying movement and travel.
• 星 (xīng): This character means “star.” The top part (日) represents the sun, and the bottom part (生) means “to be born” or “life,” suggesting that stars were seen as being “born” from light or fire.
• How they combine: The combination 行星 (xíngxīng) literally means “walking star.” This brilliantly captures the essence of what a planet is from a naked-eye, Earth-based perspective: a point of light that moves independently of the “fixed” stars.

The term 行星 (xíngxīng) is a window into the rich history of Chinese astronomy and philosophy. Unlike Western cultures, which named the planets after Roman gods (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, etc.), ancient Chinese astronomers named the five visible planets after the Five Elements (五行 - Wǔxíng), a foundational concept in Chinese philosophy used to explain interactions in the natural world.

• Venus: 金星 (Jīnxīng) - The Metal Star
• Jupiter: 木星 (Mùxīng) - The Wood Star
• Mercury: 水星 (Shuǐxīng) - The Water Star
• Mars: 火星 (Huǒxīng) - The Fire Star
• Saturn: 土星 (Tǔxīng) - The Earth Star

This comparison highlights a key cultural difference. The Western tradition anthropomorphized the planets, giving them personalities and divine roles based on mythology. The Chinese tradition classified them according to a naturalistic, philosophical system, focusing on their perceived elemental qualities and their role in the cosmic balance. This scientific and philosophical approach is embedded in the very language used today.

行星 (xíngxīng) is a formal, scientific term used in any context where you would say “planet” in English.

• Education and Science: This is its most common use. It's found in textbooks, science documentaries, news articles about space exploration (e.g., NASA missions), and museum exhibits.
• Science Fiction: In sci-fi novels, movies, and games, you'll frequently hear about discovering new 行星 or traveling to an alien 行星. The term 系外行星 (xìwài xíngxīng) means “exoplanet.”
• Daily Conversation: While not an everyday word, people use it when discussing astronomy, news about space, or a child's schoolwork. It's not typically used figuratively; you wouldn't call a celebrity a 行星 the way you might call them a “star” in English.

• Example 1:
  • 太阳系有八大行星。
  • Pinyin: Tàiyángxì yǒu bā dà xíngxīng.
  • English: The Solar System has eight major planets.
  • Analysis: A straightforward, factual sentence you'd find in a textbook. 八大 (bā dà) means “eight major/great.”
• Example 2:
  • 地球是我们居住的行星。
  • Pinyin: Dìqiú shì wǒmen jūzhù de xíngxīng.
  • English: Earth is the planet we live on.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 的 (de) to create a descriptive clause, “the planet that we live on.”
• Example 3:
  • 科学家们发现了一颗新的系外行星。
  • Pinyin: Kēxuéjiāmen fāxiànle yī kē xīn de xìwài xíngxīng.
  • English: Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet.
  • Analysis: Note the measure word for planets is 颗 (kē). 系外 (xìwài) means “outside the system,” so 系外行星 is an “exoplanet.”
• Example 4:
  • 你最喜欢哪颗行星？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ kē xíngxīng?
  • English: Which planet do you like the most?
  • Analysis: A simple conversational question. Again, notice the use of the measure word 颗 (kē).
• Example 5:
  • 冥王星曾经被认为是一颗行星。
  • Pinyin: Míngwángxīng céngjīng bèi rènwéi shì yī kē xíngxīng.
  • English: Pluto was once considered to be a planet.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the passive voice with 被 (bèi) and shows past action with 曾经 (céngjīng). A great example discussing a modern scientific topic.
• Example 6:
  • 火星是太阳系的第四颗行星。
  • Pinyin: Huǒxīng shì tàiyángxì de dì sì kē xíngxīng.
  • English: Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how to state ordinal numbers (like “fourth,” 第四) when describing a planet's position.
• Example 7:
  • 这颗行星的表面覆盖着冰。
  • Pinyin: Zhè kē xíngxīng de biǎomiàn fùgàizhe bīng.
  • English: The surface of this planet is covered with ice.
  • Analysis: A descriptive sentence useful for talking about the characteristics of different planets.
• Example 8:
  • 有些行星有光环，比如土星。
  • Pinyin: Yǒuxiē xíngxīng yǒu guānghuán, bǐrú Tǔxīng.
  • English: Some planets have rings, for example, Saturn.
  • Analysis: 比如 (bǐrú) is a common way to say “for example” or “such as.”
• Example 9:
  • 人类登陆另一颗行星的梦想很快就会实现。
  • Pinyin: Rénlèi dēnglù lìngyī kē xíngxīng de mèngxiǎng hěn kuài jiù huì shíxiàn.
  • English: Humanity's dream of landing on another planet will soon be realized.
  • Analysis: A more complex sentence structure showing how 行星 can be part of a larger descriptive phrase.
• Example 10:
  • 气态巨行星和岩石行星有很大的不同。
  • Pinyin: Qìtài jùxíngxīng hé yánshí xíngxīng yǒu hěn dà de bùtóng.
  • English: Gas giant planets and rocky planets are very different.
  • Analysis: Shows how you can add prefixes to 行星 to specify the type, like 气态巨 (qìtài jù - gas giant) and 岩石 (yánshí - rocky).

• 行星 (xíngxīng) vs. 恒星 (héngxīng): This is the most critical distinction for learners. They sound similar but mean opposite things.
  • 行星 (xíngxīng): Planet (a “walking/traveling star”).
  • 恒星 (héngxīng): Star (a “constant/fixed star,” like our Sun). The character 恒 (héng) means constant or permanent.
  • Incorrect: 太阳是太阳系里最大的行星。(Tàiyáng shì tàiyángxì lǐ zuìdà de xíngxīng.) → The Sun is the biggest planet in the solar system. (WRONG)
  • Correct: 太阳是一颗恒星，而地球是一颗行星。(Tàiyáng shì yī kē héngxīng, ér dìqiú shì yī kē xíngxīng.) → The Sun is a star, whereas Earth is a planet.
• 行星 (xíngxīng) vs. 星球 (xīngqiú):
  • 行星 (xíngxīng) specifically means “planet.”
  • 星球 (xīngqiú) is a more general, and often more casual or literary, term for a celestial body (star, planet, etc.). You can think of it as “celestial sphere.” All planets are 星球, but not all 星球 are planets.
  • In a sci-fi movie, a character might say “我们去那个星球看看” (Let's go check out that sphere/celestial body), which sounds more natural than “我们去那个行星看看” unless they know for sure it's a planet.
• Forgetting the Measure Word: Like many nouns in Chinese, 行星 requires a measure word when counted. The correct measure word is 颗 (kē), which is used for small, sphere-like objects (pearls, teeth, stars, planets).
  • Incorrect: 我看到了一个行星。(Wǒ kàn dàole yīgè xíngxīng.)
  • Correct: 我看到了一颗行星。(Wǒ kàn dàole yī kē xíngxīng.)

• 恒星 (héngxīng) - Star (lit. “constant star”). The celestial object that a 行星 orbits.
• 太阳系 (tàiyángxì) - Solar System. The system containing our sun and its planets.
• 地球 (dìqiú) - Earth. The specific planet we inhabit.
• 卫星 (wèixīng) - Satellite or moon (lit. “guarding star”). A body that orbits a planet.
• 星系 (xīngxì) - Galaxy. A vast system of stars, gas, dust, and planets.
• 宇宙 (yǔzhòu) - Universe. Everything that exists.
• 星球 (xīngqiú) - A general term for a celestial body (star or planet). Less scientific than 行星 or 恒星.
• 天文学 (tiānwénxué) - Astronomy. The science that studies these celestial objects.
• 火星 (huǒxīng) - Mars. An example of a specific planet's name.
• 系外行星 (xìwài xíngxīng) - Exoplanet. A planet outside of our solar system.