star

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 星 has 9 strokes; the word 星 is read ほし, and 星座 is read せいざ.
• Basic usage: 星 denotes a star or a star shape; 星座 denotes a constellation recognized from the arrangement of stars in the sky.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An individual star and a constellation
  • 星が一つ見えた means that one star was visible in the sky. 五つの星を描いた counts five star shapes drawn on paper.
  • 星座の位置 means the position of a constellation recognized by an arrangement of stars.