竭尽 (jié jìn) — to spare no effort; to exhaust every resource

Definition

竭尽 is a written, formal verb meaning 'to spare no effort / exhaust every resource' — used almost exclusively in set phrases like 竭尽全力. It is much more literary than the everyday 用尽 or 尽力.

verb
to spare no effortto exhaust every resource

Examples

  • 。
    Tā jié jìn quán lì wán chéng le zhè ge xiàng mù.
    He spared no effort to finish this project.
  • 竭尽。
    Wǒ men yīng dāng jié jìn suǒ néng bāng zhù shòu zāi dì qū.
    We should do everything we can to help the disaster-stricken areas.
  • 竭尽。
    Tā jié jìn xīn lì zhào gù shēng bìng de mǔ qīn.
    She devoted all her energy to caring for her sick mother.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

竭jiéexhaust
尽jìnuse up

竭 and 尽 both mean to exhaust or use up, so together they stress sparing no 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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé竭jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

竭 is built from 立 and 曷: 立 carries the meaning part, while 曷 supplies the sound.

Open 竭 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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