Chinese word

起劲

Pronunciation

Pinyinqǐ jìn

Meaning

  • adjectiveenergetic

Example

他今天很起劲，把工作做完了。tā jīn tiān hěn qǐ jìn bǎ gōng zuò zuò wán le

He was very energetic today and finished the work.

Illustration for 起劲 (energetic)

More examples

她一拿到新任务就很起劲，加班把事情做完了。tā yì ná dào xīn rèn wù jiù hěn qǐ jìn jiā bān bǎ shì qíng zuò wán le

As soon as she gets a new task, she becomes very energetic and works overtime to finish it.

Core concept

A visible surge of energy that carries a person into lively, willing effort.

Common phrases

  • 起劲干活qǐ jìn gàn huó

    work with energy

  • 起劲学习qǐ jìn xué xí

    study eagerly

  • 起劲讨论qǐ jìn tǎo lùn

    discuss actively

Similar words

兴奋xīng fèn: Filled with excitement and a strong emotional lift.
活跃huó yuè: Active, lively, and involved in what is happening.
积极jī jí: Ready to act and make a strong effort to achieve a goal.
热心rè xīn: Showing lasting care and enthusiasm for a person or matter.

Definition in Chinese

形容人对某事有精神、有干劲，积极投入去做事情，表现出明显的活力。xíng róng rén duì mǒu shì yǒu jīng shén yǒu gàn jìn jī jí tóu rù qù zuò shì qíng biǎo xiàn chū míng xiǎn de huó lì

Word origin

起 (qǐ, "rise") + 劲 (jìn, "force") create the image of force rising into active effort, which gives the word its sense of spirited involvement.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, the word often describes a burst of effort during one activity, so it need not imply a lasting personality trait.

Other meanings

  • enthusiasticadjective
  • motivatedadjective
  • hardworkingadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 起劲儿qǐ jìnrenthusiasticadjective

Word lists with this word