Chinese word

紧

Pronunciation

Pinyinjǐn

Meaning

  • adjectivetight

Example

我感觉这件衣服太紧了。wǒ gǎn jué zhè jiàn yī fú tài jǐn le

I feel this piece of clothing is too tight.

Illustration for 紧 (tight)

More examples

我今天时间很紧，要赶很多事情。wǒ jīn tiān shí jiān hěn jǐn yào gǎn hěn duō shì qíng

I have very little time today, so I must hurry to get many things done.

Core concept

Keeps something close with almost no spare room, so movement, time, or choice becomes limited.

Common phrases

  • 衣服太紧yī fú tài jǐn

    overly tight clothing

  • 时间很紧shí jiān hěn jǐn

    very little time

  • 腰带太紧yāo dài tài jǐn

    an overly tight belt

Similar words

紧密jǐn mì: Very close together, with little space between people, things, or connected parts.
窄zhǎi: Having little width or space, so there is not much room available.
拥挤yōng jǐ: Packed with people or objects so tightly that movement and space are limited.
紧张jǐn zhāng: Feeling nervous and unable to stay calm under strong pressure.

Definition in Chinese

表示物体被收紧或贴身，导致活动受限或不舒服，也常用于表示时间、条件等紧迫或余地不足。biǎo shì wù tǐ bèi shōu jǐn huò tiē shēn dǎo zhì huó dòng shòu xiàn huò bù shū fú yě cháng yòng yú biǎo shì shí jiān tiáo jiàn děng jǐn pò huò yú dì bù zú

Word origin

紧 (jǐn, "tight") grew from the physical idea of drawing something close and taut, then extended naturally to situations with little time, space, or flexibility.

Usage tips

  • English often uses this adjective mainly for fit or space, while Chinese also applies it to schedules, deadlines, and supplies; the surrounding noun identifies what is limited.

Other meanings

  • crampedadjective
  • strictadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word