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勤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
勤
qín
diligent
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
industrious
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
hardworking
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
frequent
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
regular
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
constant
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
solicitous
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
勤
qín
industrious, diligent, attentive
a, 13 strokes, radical 力, rank #5906, Hard
qín(qin2)qin T2
1diligent
2industrious
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March 24, 2026
勤qín(qin2)
The character 勤 (qín) conveys the idea of being diligent and industrious, typically in the context of work or study. It implies a consistent and hardworking attitude, suggesting a strong work ethic and frequent effort in one's tasks or responsibilities.
Strokes13Radical力Frequency#5906DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, being 勤 (qín) is highly valued, often linked to Confucian ideals of hard work and dedication. It is common to hear parents encouraging their children to be 勤奋 (qínfèn) in their studies and careers.
Memory tip
Imagine a person (represented by the character's radical) diligently working in a field, tirelessly sowing seeds (勤). The character's shape resembles someone bent over laboring hard, reinforcing the idea of hard work and dedication.
Meanings of 勤
qín(qin2)
1diligent
2industrious
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
Play it, then pick what 勤 means.
About 勤
勤Simplified
13Strokes
力Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#5906Frequency Rank
Podcast: 勤
Podcast: 勤
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AI study notes for 勤
Quick Contrast
勤 (qín) vs 努力 (nǔlì) — choose 勤 when emphasizing habitual diligence, while 努力 focuses more on effort in a specific situation.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 勤 with other similar characters like 忍 (rěn) which means to endure. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of the tone when emphasizing diligence in a professional setting. Common collocations include 勤奋 (qínfèn) meaning 'hardworking' and 勤劳 (qínláo) meaning 'industrious'.
HSK Study Tips
While 勤 is not explicitly listed in standard HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to work ethic and effort. Focus on recognizing it in phrases and practice using it in context to enhance your vocabulary around diligence and industriousness.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 勤 in contexts that imply 'lazy' or 'carefree', which is the opposite of its meaning. For example, saying '我很勤' (Wǒ hěn qín) to mean 'I am lazy' is incorrect; it should be '我很懒' (Wǒ hěn lǎn) instead.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 勤
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勤 = 力 + 堇. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 勤
IDS Structure⿰堇力
勤Full character
=
堇jin3
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 勤?
How to say diligent in Chinese
“diligent” in Chinese is勤qín
The character 勤 (qín) conveys the idea of being diligent and industrious, typically in the context of work or study. It implies a consistent and hardworking attitude, suggesting a strong work ethic and frequent effort in one's tasks or responsibilities.
When to use 勤
Learners often confuse 勤 with other similar characters like 忍 (rěn) which means to endure. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of the tone when emphasizing diligence in a professional setting. Common collocations include 勤奋 (qínfèn) meaning 'hardworking' and 勤劳 (qínláo) meaning 'industrious'.
勤 or something close to it
勤 (qín) vs 努力 (nǔlì) — choose 勤 when emphasizing habitual diligence, while 努力 focuses more on effort in a specific situation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 勤 in contexts that imply 'lazy' or 'carefree', which is the opposite of its meaning. For example, saying '我很勤' (Wǒ hěn qín) to mean 'I am lazy' is incorrect; it should be '我很懒' (Wǒ hěn lǎn) instead.
Write 勤
勤
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Practice writing 勤 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 勤
勤 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
我认为取得成功唯一的共同要素是____奋。
I think the only common denominator of success is hard work.
Common confusions with 勤
勤vs亲
qīn
Similar pronunciation but different meanings.
勤vs清
qīng
Similar pronunciation; '清' relates to clarity.
Exercise 1 of 1
Which one
Which one means “diligent”?
or
Example sentences for 勤 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我认为取得成功唯一的共同要素是勤奋。
wǒ rènwéi qǔdé chénggōng wéiyī de gòngtóng yàosù shì qínfèn。
I think the only common denominator of success is hard work.
There were 2,250 policemen on duty in and around the stadium.
7
他的出勤记录时好时差。
tā de chū qín jìlù shí hǎo shíchā。
His attendance record was spotty.
8
我钦佩他是个真正的科学家和勤奋工作的人。
wǒ qīnpèi tā shì gè zhēnzhèng de kēxué jiā hé qínfèn gōngzuò de rén。
I admired him as a true scientist and hard worker.
9
人勤地生宝；人懒地长草。
rén qín dì shēng bǎo； rén lǎn dì cháng cǎo。
Feed plants and they grow, neglect them and they suffer.
10
惊恐万分的通勤者们看见那辆卡车突然冲向高速公路另一侧，接着翻倒在地。
jīng kǒng wànfēn de tōngqín zhě men kànjiàn nà liàng kǎchē tūrán chōng xiàng gāosùgōnglù lìng yī cè， jiēzhe fān dào zài dì。
Horrified commuters saw the lorry veer across the motorway and overturn.
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Word Family of 勤
Words containing this character20
勤qíndiligent
勤奋qínfènhardworking勤奮
辛勤xīnqínhardworking
后勤hòuqínlogistics後勤
执勤zhíqínto be on duty (of a security guard etc)執勤
外勤wàiqínfield work
勤劳qínláohardworking勤勞
出勤chūqínto go to work
值勤zhíqínto be on duty (of a security guard etc)
勤快qínkuaidiligent
王励勤wánglìqínWang Liqin (1978-), former PRC table tennis player, Olympic medalist王勵勤
勤俭qínjiǎnhardworking and frugal勤儉
勤务qínwùservice勤務
殷勤yīnqínpolitely
献殷勤xiànyīnqínto court sb's favor獻殷勤
勤勉qínmiǎndiligence
考勤kǎoqínto monitor efficiency (of workers)
勤工俭学qíngōngjiǎnxuéwork-study program勤工儉學
勤勤恳恳qínqínkěnkěnassiduous勤勤懇懇
缺勤quēqínto be absent from work or school
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 勤
What does 勤奋 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 勤
Common phrases include 勤奋 (qínfèn) meaning 'hardworking' and 勤劳 (qínláo) meaning 'industrious'. These terms can be used to describe a person's work ethic.
The correct pronunciation is 'qín', with a rising tone. Focus on the 'q' sound which is similar to 'chee' but pronounced with a more forward placement in the mouth.
Yes, 勤 can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though it's more commonly found in discussions about work ethic or study habits.
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