尽数 (jìn shù) — totally; wholly; all

Definition

A formal adverb meaning 'all, every one' — emphasizes completeness, often paired with 都. More literary than the everyday 所有 or 全部.

adverb
totallywhollyall

Examples

  • 尽数。
    Zhè xiē zhài wù yǐ jīng jìn shù huán qīng.
    These debts have all been paid off.
  • 尽数。
    Suǒ yǒu cān huì rén yuán jìn shù dào chǎng.
    All the participants have arrived.
  • 尽数。
    Tā bǎ cáng shū jìn shù juān zèng gěi le tú shū guǎn.
    He donated all his book collection to the library.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →

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