精 (jīng): essence, extract, vitality
精 (jīng) is a Chinese character meaning “essence.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 米 (semantic) and 青 (phonetic). It ranks #435 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 精 grain. Its radical form 米 (rice) appears in many related characters such as 米 (mǐ, uncooked rice), 类 (lèi, kind), 糖 (táng, sugar).
Definitions
- essence
- extract
- vitality
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 精 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 精
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 精神noun/adjective | jīng shén | spirit | 5 |
| 精彩adjective | jīng cǎi | wonderful | 4 |
| 精力noun | jīng lì | energy | 5 |
| 酒精noun | jiǔ jīng | (coll.) ethanol | 6 |
| 精确adjective | jīng què | accurate | 6 |
| 精心adjective | jīng xīn | with utmost care | 6 |
| 精致 | jīng zhì | delicate | 6 |
| 精通verb | jīng tōng | to be proficient in | 6 |
| 精美adjective | jīng měi | exquisite | 6 |
| 精准adjective | jīng zhǔn | accurate | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 精灵 | jīng líng | spirit |
| 精子 | jīng zǐ | sperm cell |
| 精英 | jīng yīng | cream |
| 精液 | jīng yè | semen |
| 妖精 | yāo jing | evil spirit |
| 精明 | jīng míng | astute |
| 精华 | jīng huá | best feature |
| 精密 | jīng mì | accuracy |
| 精髓 | jīng suǐ | marrow |
| 精光 | jīng guāng | nothing left (money, food etc) |
| 精湛 | jīng zhàn | consummate |
| 受精 | shòu jīng | to be fertilized |
| 精选 | jīng xuǎn | carefully chosen |
| 精巧 | jīng qiǎo | elaborate |
| 精良 | jīng liáng | excellent |
精 appears in 100 compound words: 68 as the first character, 30 as the last, and 2 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 精 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (37)
elite soldiers, ample provisions (idiom); well-prepared forces; preparations for war are in an advanced state
lit. fine sculpting (idiom); fig. to work (at sth) with extreme care and precision
lit. fine sculpting (idiom); fig. to work (at sth) with extreme care and precision
Showing 12 of 37 idioms containing 精.
Example Sentences
他精力充沛，每天都能高效地完成工作。
Tā jīnglì chōngpèi, měitiān dōu néng gāoxiào de wánchéng gōngzuò.
He is full of energy and can complete his work efficiently every day.
从球场到社区 三哥力撑学界足球精英梦
cóng qiú chǎng dào shè qū sān gē lì chēng xué jiè zú qiú jīng yīng mèng
From the stadium to the community, the third brother supports the dream of school football elites
新春走基层|网球传奇齐聚上海,精彩球技点燃新春佳节
xīn chūn zǒu jī céng wǎng qiú chuán qí qí jù shàng hǎi , jīng cǎi qiú jì diǎn rán xīn chūn jiā jié
Tennis legends gathered in Shanghai, and their wonderful skills ignited the Spring Festival
未必是坏事!南马降级成精英标 马拉松将回归体验本质
wèi bì shì huài shì ! nán mǎ jiàng jí chéng jīng yīng biāo mǎ lā sōng jiāng huí guī tǐ yàn běn zhì
It's not necessarily a bad thing! South Malaysia is relegated to an elite marathon and will return to the essence of experience
马年话马丨龙马精神的“龙马”究竟是什么?
mǎ nián huà mǎ 丨 lóng mǎ jīng shén de lóng mǎ jiū jìng shì shén má ?
The year of the horse talk about the horse丨the dragon horse spirit of the "dragon horse" what exactly is it?
一路走来,到了春节!上海静安祝您龙马精神、马到成功..
yī lù zǒu lái , dào le chūn jié ! shǎng hǎi jìng ān zhù nín lóng mǎ jīng shén mǎ dào chéng gōng . .
The journey has led us to the Spring Festival! Shanghai Jing'an wishes you boundless energy and instant success.
什么痛苦能让你想用酒精去麻醉自己？
Shénme tòngkǔ néng ràng nǐ xiǎng yòng jiǔjīng qù mázuì zìjǐ?
What pain are you trying to cover up with alcohol?
小心，精神依赖不是爱的同义词！
Xiǎoxīn, jīngshén yīlài bù shì ài de tóngyìcí!
Careful! Emotional dependency is not synonymous with love!
我小睡后就感到精力充沛。
Wǒ xiǎoshuì hòu jiù gǎndào jīnglì chōngpèi.
A little nap and, just like that, I'm as fresh as a daisy.
由于噪音，我无法集中精力工作了。
Yóuyú zàoyīn, wǒ wúfǎ jízhōng jīnglì gōngzuò le.
I can't concentrate on my work because of the noise.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 精 (jīng) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 精 and 清?
How many strokes does 精 have?
What is the radical of 精?
What are the components of 精?
What are common words containing 精?
What characters sound the same as 精 (jīng)?
Is 精 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 精 with real-time feedback
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