劲 (jìn) — strength; energy
Definition
劲 (jìn) names the physical strength or energy a person brings to an action — more personal than 力量, and about drive or vigor rather than material 强度. Often appears with the measure word 把, as in 加把劲 ('put in more effort').
noun
strengthenergy
Measure word · 把
Examples
- ，。Tā gàn huó r hěn yǒu jìn, yì diǎn yě bù jué dé lèi.He works with great energy and doesn't feel tired at all.
- 劲，？Nǐ jīn tiān kàn qǐ lái méi shén me jìn, shì bu shì bù shū fu?You look pretty low on energy today, are you feeling unwell?
- ，。Dà jiā zài jiā bǎ jìn, mǎ shàng jiù dào shān dǐng le.Everyone, put in a bit more effort, we're almost at the mountaintop.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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