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进步 (jìn bù) — (verb) to improve, to make progress; (noun) progress, improvement; (adjective) progressive, advanced

Definition

进步 covers both the action ('improve, make progress') and the result ('progress, improvement'). Compared to 改进 ('improve' a specific thing on purpose), 进步 is more general and often self-driven.

verb
to improveto make progress
noun
progressimprovement
adjective
progressiveadvanced
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 进步。
    Tā de hàn yǔ shuǐ píng jìn bù le hěn duō.
    His Chinese level has improved a lot.
  • ，进步。
    Zhǐ yào jiān chí liàn xí, nǐ yí dìng huì qǔ dé jìn bù.
    As long as you keep practicing, you will definitely make progress.
  • 进步。
    Zhè zhǒng jìn bù de sī xiǎng zhí dé xué xí.
    This kind of progressive thinking is worth studying.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

进jìnadvance
步bùstep

进 means advance, and 步 means step; together they picture moving forward.

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 進; 进 is its simplified writing.

  • 辵辵chuòwalk
  • 隹隹zhuīshort-tail bird

The traditional form 進 pairs 辵 (walk) with 隹 (short-tail bird): the picture showed moving forward because a bird can only walk forward, not backward. The simplified 进 is a later shorthand.

Open 进 →

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →
Appears in
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