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上进 (shàng jìn) — to strive for improvement, to make progress (in one's studies, career, or personal development)

Definition

上進 (shàng jìn) means 'driven to improve' — it describes a person's inner attitude or motivation to better themselves, unlike 进步 which describes actual progress made. Closely tied to the common pattern 上进心 (drive for self-improvement).

verb
to strive for improvementto make progress (in one's studies, career, or personal development)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā hěn yǒu shàng jìn xīn, yì zhí zài xué xí xīn jì néng.
    He has a strong drive for self-improvement and is always learning new skills.
  • 上进，。
    Nián qīng rén yīng gāi shàng jìn, bú yào mǎn zú yú xiàn zhuàng.
    Young people should strive to improve and not be satisfied with the status quo.
  • 上进，。
    Tā shì gè fēi cháng shàng jìn de yuán gōng, lǎo bǎn hěn xīn shǎng tā.
    She is a very ambitious employee, and her boss appreciates her a lot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

上shàngup
进jìnadvance

上 and 进 both mean moving up or forward, so they build the meaning of making progress.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Success & Failure

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