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緊 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
緊jǐntense, tight, taut; firm, securex, 14 strokes, radical 糸, rank #95741, Very Hard
jǐn(jin3) T3
  1. 1tense, tight, taut; firm, secure
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March 24, 2026

緊jǐn(jin3)

The character 緊 (jǐn) means 'tense,' 'tight,' or 'taut.' It is often used to describe something that is firmly secured or tightly bound, such as a rope or a person's muscles during stress. In addition, it can also convey a sense of urgency or intensity in various contexts.

Strokes14Radical糸Frequency#95741DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the idea of being 'tense' or 'tight' can relate to social norms around hierarchy and respect, where being too relaxed might be viewed as disrespectful. Understanding this nuance can help in navigating social interactions more effectively.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tightrope walker (緊) balancing on a rope that's pulled taut. The rope is 'jǐn'—it can't be loose or slack; it must be tense and firm to support the walker. The character has the silk radical 糸 (which relates to threads) on the left, emphasizing the idea of tightness in textiles.

Meanings of 緊

jǐn(jin3)
1tense, tight, taut; firm, secure
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 緊

緊Simplified
14Strokes
糸Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 緊

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Podcast: 緊

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AI Study Notes for 緊

Quick Contrast

紧 (jǐn) vs 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) — use 紧 when describing physical tightness, while 紧张 refers to emotional tension or nervousness.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 緊 (jǐn) with 紧急 (jǐnjí), which specifically means 'urgent.' This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, but using it in relaxed conversations might sound overly dramatic. Common collocations include 緊張 (jǐnzhāng, 'nervous') and 緊迫 (jǐnpò, 'urgent').

HSK Study Tips

Although 緊 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other level 3 words like 緊張 (jǐnzhāng) and 迫 (pò). Focus on how to use it in phrases that describe emotions or physical states, which can enhance your expressive capabilities.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 緊 (jǐn) with its antonym 松 (sōng). For example, saying '这条绳子很松' (Zhè tiáo shéngzi hěn sōng) when they mean to express tightness. The correct phrase would be '这条绳子很紧.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 緊

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Etymology of 緊

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 緊. Phonosemantic compound. 臣 represents the sound, while 又 and 糸 represent the meaning.

Memory Hint

thread

Semantic (meaning)糸
+
Phonetic (sound)臤
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

緊 = 糸 + 臤. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 緊

IDS Structure⿱臤糸
緊Full Character
=
臤qian1
top
糸mi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 緊?

How to say tense, tight, taut; firm, secure in Chinese

“tense, tight, taut; firm, secure” in Chinese is緊jǐn

The character 緊 (jǐn) means 'tense,' 'tight,' or 'taut.' It is often used to describe something that is firmly secured or tightly bound, such as a rope or a person's muscles during stress. In addition, it can also convey a sense of urgency or intensity in various contexts.

When to use 緊

Be careful not to confuse 緊 (jǐn) with 紧急 (jǐnjí), which specifically means 'urgent.' This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, but using it in relaxed conversations might sound overly dramatic. Common collocations include 緊張 (jǐnzhāng, 'nervous') and 緊迫 (jǐnpò, 'urgent').

緊 or something close to it

紧 (jǐn) vs 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) — use 紧 when describing physical tightness, while 紧张 refers to emotional tension or nervousness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 緊 (jǐn) with its antonym 松 (sōng). For example, saying '这条绳子很松' (Zhè tiáo shéngzi hěn sōng) when they mean to express tightness. The correct phrase would be '这条绳子很紧.'

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緊

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Word Family of 緊

Words Containing This Character20
紧张jǐnzhāngnervous緊張
紧jǐntight緊
紧急jǐnjíurgent緊急
赶紧gǎnjǐnhurriedly趕緊
抓紧zhuājǐnto grasp firmly抓緊
紧紧jǐnjǐnclosely緊緊
紧密jǐnmìinseparably close緊密
不要紧búyàojǐnunimportant不要緊
无关紧要wúguānjǐnyàoindifferent無關緊要
要紧yàojǐnimportant要緊
加紧jiājǐnto intensify加緊
紧迫jǐnpòpressing緊迫
紧跟to comply with緊跟
紧身skintight緊身
紧缩jǐnsuōto curtail緊縮
紧缺jǐnquēscarce緊缺
紧贴to stick close to緊貼
紧凑jǐncòucompact緊湊
收紧to tighten up (restrictions etc)收緊
紧握to hold firmly, not let go緊握
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 緊

What does 紧张 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 緊

You can say '这条绳子很紧' (Zhè tiáo shéngzi hěn jǐn) meaning 'This rope is very tight.'

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