HanziGuru.尽 · jǐn
尽
jǐn[jin3]Tone 3

to the greatest extent, furthest, to use up, to exhaust

HSK 3
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儘
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · to the greatest extent, furthest, to use up, to exhaust

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:6
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (尺 component or body) should be compact, allowing the right side (brush/hand element) ample space to balance the character.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 儘 includes a person radical and other elements, whereas the simplified form 尽 streamlines the structure into a cleaner, faster-to-write glyph.
1. Meaning

to the greatest extent

furthest or extreme (when used before a location)to be within the limits ofto give priority toto use up or exhaust
Adverb / VerbNeutral#extent#limit#action
Sample Usage
  • 尽力
    jìn lì
    to do one's best
  • 尽情
    jìn qíng
    to one's heart's content
2. Sound
/[tɕin²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
尽
jǐnjin3
++
ˇ(214)
=jǐn
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j as in jeep
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate, air pushes through gently without a strong burst.
Final Rhyme
in
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: -in rhymes with pin
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'een'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts mid-high, dips down low into the vocal register, and rises back up, similar to a disbelieving English 'Really?'.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, jǐn changes to a 2nd tone (rising 35), e.g., 尽量 (jǐnliàng -> jínliàng).
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the palatal initial 'j' with the retroflex 'zh' or alveolar 'z'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 3 dips low and rises back up. Trace a 'V' shape or a checkmark in the air with your finger.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (尺 component or body) should be compact, allowing the right side (brush/hand element) ample space to balance the character.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 儘 includes a person radical and other elements, whereas the simplified form 尽 streamlines the structure into a cleaner, faster-to-write glyph.

4. Components

Radical 尸 · Corpse Radical (body, corpse, or posture)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 尸 (indicates a posture or body reaching a limit)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 㶳 (original sound: jin)

A body (尸) reaching its utmost limit or using up all energy.

  • 尸 body or roof outline
  • 丶 finishing stroke representing completion
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted drawing liquid or using something up entirely, later borrowed for phonetic value while retaining the sense of exhaustion or completion.

Semantic Evolution: From 'to empty out or use up' to 'to the greatest possible extent or limit'.

  • The traditional variant 儘 emphasizes human effort, whereas 尽 is a simplified merger representing the same phonetic and conceptual root.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ジン (jin) / Kun: つく.す (tsuku.su)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
진
Sound Shift Bridge: Mandarin jǐn corresponds to Japanese On'yomi 'jin' and Kun'yomi 'tsukusu' (to exhaust/use up).
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine pushing your body (尸) to the absolute limit until you have used up every last ounce of energy—to the greatest extent possible (尽).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
进
jìnto enterUses movement radical (辶) + jǐn for sound.
近
jìnnearUses walking radical (辶) to show physical closeness.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
津(jīn)
Has the water radical (氵) meaning ferry or saliva, whereas 尽 uses the body radical (尸).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们应该[___]力把这件事情做好。
Clue: jìn
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the 3rd tone pronunciation of jǐn with the 4th tone jìn when used in different grammatical structures like 尽量 versus 进.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see '尽', what does it mean regarding limits and extent?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to the greatest extent' with 6 strokes starting with the corpse radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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