渐进 (jiàn jìn) — to advance gradually, to progress incrementally

Definition

渐进 means 'to advance gradually, step by step' — a more formal, written word than everyday 进 (advance) or 慢慢 (slowly), often used for reforms, processes, and development.

verb
to advance graduallyto progress incrementally

Examples

  • 渐进。
    Zhōng guó de jīng jì gǎi gé shì jiàn jìn de.
    China's economic reform is gradual.
  • 渐进。
    Tā de hàn yǔ shuǐ píng zài jiàn jìn tí gāo.
    His Chinese level is gradually improving.
  • 渐进。
    Jì shù fā zhǎn shì yí gè jiàn jìn de guò chéng.
    Technological development is a gradual process.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

渐jiàngradually
进jìnadvance

渐 gives gradualness to 进, which means advance.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 漸; 渐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
斬
斬zhǎn漸jiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 漸 pairs 氵, a water part, with 斬, which gives the sound; the simplified 渐 is a later shorthand.

Open 渐 →

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 →

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