矜 meaning and stroke order
To pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry for
How to write 矜, 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 矜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to boast
- to esteem
- to sympathize
How 矜 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Spear.
矛 gives the meaning and 今 hints at the sound.
Radical: 矛 (spear), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 矜
矜 is built from 矛 (máo, spear) on the left, which gives the meaning, and 今 (jīn, now) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture someone holding a spear upright and proud, standing stiff and reserved, and you have the feeling of 矜持 (jīnchí).
矜 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. You mostly meet it in set words like 矜持 (jīnchí, reserved, holding back) and in literary phrases about pride or pity. Example: 她在陌生人面前有点矜持。(Tā zài mòshēngrén miànqián yǒudiǎn jīnchí.) She is a bit reserved around strangers.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 予 or 柔 instead of 矛, so check that 矛 has its extra hooked stroke. Also keep the tone first tone, jīn, the same as 今, not jǐn or jìn.
Common words with 矜
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 矜持 | jīnchí | reserved; aloof |
Questions about 矜
How many strokes are in 矜?
矜 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 矜 mean?
矜 (jīn) means to pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry for. A common word with it is 矜持 (jīnchí), meaning "reserved; aloof".
How do you pronounce 矜?
矜 is pronounced jīn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 矜?
The radical of 矜 is 矛, which carries the idea of "spear". Dictionaries list 矜 under this radical.
Is 矜持 a positive or negative word?
It can be either. It may describe someone dignified and restrained, or someone who seems stiff and too shy to relax. Context and tone decide which.
How can 矜 mean both to boast and to pity?
The dictionary lists both senses: to boast or esteem, and to sympathize. Both are mostly literary today, and the pity sense appears in older phrases such as 矜怜 (jīnlián), to pity, while everyday speech uses 可怜 (kělián) or 同情 (tóngqíng) instead.