勁 meaning and stroke order
Strong, tough, unyielding; power, energy
How to write 勁, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 勁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- strength
- energy
- enthusiasm
- spirit
- mood
- expression
- stalwart
- sturdy
- strong
- powerful
How 勁 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 勁
勁 is built from 巠 on the left and 力 (lì, strength) on the right. The 力 part tells you the meaning is about strength and energy, while 巠 hints at the sound, as it also appears in 經 (jīng) and 輕 (qīng).
勁 is the traditional form; mainland texts write it as 劲. In everyday speech it means effort, energy, or interest, as in 使劲 (shǐjìn) and 没劲 (méijìn). Example: 这部电影真没劲。(Zhè bù diànyǐng zhēn méijìn.) This movie is really boring.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 劲 as jìn, but in words meaning strong or powerful, like 强劲 (qiángjìng) and 刚劲 (gāngjìng), it is read jìng. Also do not confuse it with 經 (jīng), which shares the 巠 part but has the silk radical 糹 instead of 力.
Common words with 勁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 使勁 | shǐjìn | to exert all one's strength | HSK 4 |
| 有勁兒 | yǒujìnr | HSK 4 | |
| 沒勁 | méijìn | to have no strength; to feel weak | HSK 7-9 |
| 費勁 | fèijìn | to require effort; strenuous | HSK 7-9 |
| 強勁 | qiángjìng | strong; powerful | HSK 7-9 |
| 起勁 | qǐjìn | energetic; vigorous; enthusiastic | HSK 7-9 |
| 較勁 | jiàojìn | to match one's strength with; to compete | HSK 7-9 |
| 勁頭 | jìntóu | enthusiasm; zeal | HSK 7-9 |
| 一個勁兒 | yīgejìnr | erhua variant of 一個勁|一个劲[yi1 ge4 jin4] | HSK 7-9 |
| 不對勁 | bùduìjìn | not right; amiss; to feel uncomfortable or unwell | |
| 差勁 | chàjìn | bad; no good | |
| 對勁 | duìjìn | suitable; to one's liking; to get along well; to be compatible | |
| 勁兒 | jìnr | erhua variant of 勁|劲[jin4] | |
| 帶勁 | dàijìn | energetic; exciting; of interest |
Questions about 勁
How many strokes are in 勁?
勁 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 勁 mean?
勁 (jìn) means strong, tough, unyielding; power, energy. A common word with it is 使劲 (shǐjìn), meaning "to exert all one's strength".
How do you pronounce 勁?
勁 is pronounced jìn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 勁?
The radical of 勁 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 勁 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 勁?
勁 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 劲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 没劲 mean besides having no strength?
In casual speech 没劲 (méijìn) very often means boring or dull. 真没劲 is a common way to say something is no fun.
Why do people say 劲儿 with an r sound?
In northern Mandarin, 劲 used as a noun meaning energy or vigor usually takes the 儿 suffix, as in 有劲儿 (yǒujìnr) or 这股劲儿. The jìng reading never takes 儿.