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紧急 (jǐn jí) — urgent, pressing, critical

Definition

紧急 is a formal adjective for 'urgent' situations, crises, and emergencies (紧急情况, 紧急电话). Stronger and more written than the everyday 急, and more serious than 迫切 (which stresses personal eagerness).

adjective
urgentpressingcritical

Examples

  • 紧急，。
    Zhè jiàn shì fēi cháng jǐn jí, bì xū mǎ shàng chǔ lǐ.
    This matter is very urgent and must be dealt with immediately.
  • 紧急。
    Yī yuàn jiē dào yí gè jǐn jí diàn huà hòu lì kè chū fā le.
    The hospital set off immediately after receiving an urgent phone call.
  • 紧急，。
    Zài jǐn jí qíng kuàng xià, yào bǎo chí lěng jìng.
    In an emergency situation, you must stay calm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

紧jǐnpressing
急jíurgent

紧 “pressing” and 急 “urgent” both point to the same sense.

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 緊; 紧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
臤
臤qiān緊jǐn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緊 pairs 糸 (thread) with 臤 as a sound part; the simplified 紧 is a later shorthand.

Open 紧 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí急jí
Same sound today

急 pairs 心 (heart) with 及, which gives the sound.

Open 急 →
Appears in
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