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来劲 (lái jìn) — (informal, positive) full of energy; enthusiastic; in high spirits; (informal, negative, used in commands) to bother, tease, or provoke someone; to be a nuisance

Definition

Colloquial adjective with two opposite shades: positively, 'full of energy, on a roll'; in the negative (别来劲了), it means 'stop messing around / being a nuisance'. The negative sense is often sarcastic, telling someone to cool it.

adjective
(informal, positive) full of energyenthusiasticin high spirits(informal, negative, used in commands) to botherteaseor provoke someoneto be a nuisance

Examples

  • 来劲，。
    Tā jīn tiān tè bié lái jìn, gān qǐ huó lái fēi kuài.
    He's really full of energy today and works super fast.
  • 来劲，。
    Nǐ bié lái jìn le, wǒ zài máng zhèng shì ne.
    Stop bothering me — I'm busy with real work.
  • 来劲，。
    Zhè ge yóu xì tài lái jìn le, wán dé tíng bú xià lái.
    This game is so exciting, I can't stop playing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

来láicome
劲jìnenergy

来劲 suggests 来 (coming) and 劲 (energy), as if energy arrives, giving vigor or irritation.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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
Emotions & Feelings

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