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使劲 (shǐ jìn) — to exert effort, to use all one's strength; to try hard

Definition

使劲 stresses physical force — pushing, pulling, straining with the body. 努力 and 尽力 are about willpower on tasks; 用力 is closer but more about a single forceful action than sustained effort.

verb
to exert effortto use all one's strengthto try hard

Examples

  • 。
    Tā shǐ le hěn dà de jìn cái bǎ mén tuī kāi.
    He exerted a lot of effort to push the door open.
  • ，使劲。
    Jiā yóu, zán men zài shǐ jìn pǎo yí huì r.
    Come on, let's run harder for a bit.
  • 使劲，。
    Bié shǐ jìn le, zhè yàng róng yì shāng dào zì jǐ.
    Don't strain — you might hurt yourself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

使shǐuse
劲jìnstrength

使 means to use and 劲 means strength, giving the sense of putting in effort.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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