Meaning of 紧张
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- nervous
- keyed up
- intense
- tense
- strained
- in short supply
- scarce
Measure word: 陣|阵
How to use 紧张
紧张 describes people who feel nervous, situations that are tense, and resources that are in short supply. 考试前我很紧张。(Kǎoshì qián wǒ hěn jǐnzhāng.) I am very nervous before exams.
紧 (jǐn) means tight and 张 (zhāng) means to stretch, like drawing a bow. Picture a bowstring pulled tight and stretched to the limit, and you have the feeling of being tense.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 紧张 (jǐnzhāng, nervous) with 主张 (zhǔzhāng, to advocate) because they share 张. Also keep the third tone on 紧 (jǐn), and do not confuse it with 近 (jìn, near) or 进 (jìn, to enter).
紧张 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
紧 jǐn · tight · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
张 zhāng · to open up · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
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- 4
- 5
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 紧张.
| 赶紧 | gǎnjǐn | hurriedly; without delay |
| 紧急 | jǐnjí | urgent; emergency |
| 主张 | zhǔzhāng | to advocate; to stand for |
| 不要紧 | bùyàojǐn | unimportant; not serious |
| 抓紧 | zhuājǐn | to keep a firm grip on; to pay close attention to |
| 紧密 | jǐnmì | inseparably close |
| 紧紧 | jǐnjǐn | closely; tightly |
| 夸张 | kuāzhāng | to exaggerate; overstated; exaggerated |
| 要紧 | yàojǐn | important; urgent |
| 无关紧要 | wúguān-jǐnyào | indifferent; insignificant |
| 扩张 | kuòzhāng | expansion; dilation |
| 开张 | kāizhāng | to open a business; first transaction of a business day |
Questions about 紧张
What does 紧张 mean?
紧张 (jǐnzhāng) means "nervous; keyed up" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 紧张?
紧张 is made of 2 characters: 紧 (10 strokes), 张 (7 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 紧张 an HSK word?
Yes. 紧张 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 紧张 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 紧张 is written 緊張.
Can 紧张 describe things like time or supplies, not just feelings?
Yes. 时间很紧张 (shíjiān hěn jǐnzhāng) means time is tight, and 房子很紧张 means housing is scarce. In these cases it means strained or in short supply.
How do I tell someone not to be nervous in Chinese?
Say 别紧张 (bié jǐnzhāng) or 不要紧张 (bú yào jǐnzhāng), both meaning don't be nervous. To reassure someone that something is not a big deal, you can also say 不要紧 (bùyàojǐn).