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劲儿 (jìn r) — strength, energy, physical force; enthusiasm, interest, drive; manner, air, the way one behaves or speaks

Definition

劲儿 (jìnr) is a colloquial noun for the 'drive' or 'force' behind something — physical strength, enthusiasm, or a person's manner/attitude. It takes 的 after 这么/那么/怎么 + noun to mean 'such a … way' (他说话那个劲儿让人不舒服).

noun
strengthenergyphysical forceenthusiasminterestdrivemannerairthe way one behaves or speaks

Examples

  • 劲儿。
    Tā yòng le hěn dà de jìn r cái bǎ mén tuī kāi.
    He used a lot of strength to push the door open.
  • 。
    Tā gān qǐ huó lái tè bié yǒu jìn r.
    He works with special enthusiasm.
  • 劲儿。
    Tā shuō huà de nà ge jìn r ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    The way he talks makes people very uncomfortable.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

劲jìnvigor
儿érerhua ending

劲 gives vigor or force, while 儿 adds a familiar spoken form.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勁; 劲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng勁jìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 勁 pairs 力, meaning strength, with 巠, which gives the sound; the simplified 劲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the original ones.

Open 劲 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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