紧 meaning and stroke order
Tight; strict; close at hand
How to write 紧, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 10
Meaning of 紧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tight
- strict
- close at hand
- near
- urgent
- tense
How 紧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Silk.
糸 gives the meaning.
Radical: 糸 (silk), shared by 27 characters on this site.
How to remember 紧
The bottom part 糸 means silk thread, and above it sits 又, a hand. Picture a hand pulling a silk thread until it is tight, and you have 紧 (jǐn), tight or tense.
紧 describes things that are physically tight, like clothes or knots, and also feelings and situations that are tense or urgent. It appears in many common words such as 紧张 (jǐnzhāng, nervous) and 赶紧 (gǎnjǐn, hurry). Example: 这双鞋太紧了。(Zhè shuāng xié tài jǐn le.) These shoes are too tight.
Common mistake: Learners often say jìn with a fourth tone, mixing it up with 近 (jìn, near) or 进 (jìn, enter). 紧 is third tone, jǐn. Also note that 不要紧 means "it doesn't matter," not "don't tighten."
Common words with 紧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | nervous; keyed up | HSK 3 |
| 赶紧 | gǎnjǐn | hurriedly; without delay | HSK 3 |
| 紧急 | jǐnjí | urgent; emergency | HSK 3 |
| 不要紧 | bùyàojǐn | unimportant; not serious | HSK 4 |
| 抓紧 | zhuājǐn | to keep a firm grip on; to pay close attention to | HSK 4 |
| 紧密 | jǐnmì | inseparably close | HSK 4 |
| 紧紧 | jǐnjǐn | closely; tightly | HSK 5 |
| 要紧 | yàojǐn | important; urgent | HSK 7-9 |
| 无关紧要 | wúguān-jǐnyào | indifferent; insignificant | HSK 7-9 |
| 紧迫 | jǐnpò | pressing; urgent | HSK 7-9 |
| 紧接着 | jǐn jiēzhe | immediately afterwards; shortly after that | HSK 7-9 |
| 加紧 | jiājǐn | to intensify; to speed up | HSK 7-9 |
| 紧凑 | jǐncòu | compact; terse | HSK 7-9 |
| 紧缩 | jǐnsuō | (economics) to reduce; to curtail | HSK 7-9 |
紧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 紧
How many strokes are in 紧?
紧 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 紧 mean?
紧 (jǐn) means tight; strict; close at hand. A common word with it is 紧张 (jǐnzhāng), meaning "nervous; keyed up".
How do you pronounce 紧?
紧 is pronounced jǐn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 紧?
The radical of 紧 is 糸, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 紧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 紧?
The traditional form of 紧 is 緊. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 紧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 紧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 紧 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 紧张 and 紧急?
紧张 (jǐnzhāng) usually describes a person feeling nervous or a tense atmosphere. 紧急 (jǐnjí) describes a situation that is urgent, like an emergency. You can feel 紧张 during a 紧急 situation.
How do I use 赶紧 in a sentence?
Put 赶紧 (gǎnjǐn) before a verb to tell someone to do it right away. For example, 你赶紧走吧。(Nǐ gǎnjǐn zǒu ba.) means You'd better leave right now. It is common in spoken Chinese.