Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
津 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
津jīnsalivaj, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
津jīnsweatj, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
津jīna ferry crossingj, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
津jīna ford (river crossing)j, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
津jīnabbr. for Tianjin 天津j, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
津jīnsaliva, sweat; ferry, fordj, 9 strokes, radical 氵, rank #11524, Hard
jīn(jin1) T1
  1. 1saliva
  2. 2sweat
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

津jīn(jin1)

The character 津 (jīn) primarily refers to bodily fluids such as saliva and sweat. It can also denote a ferry crossing or a ford, places where one might cross a body of water. Additionally, 津 is an abbreviation for Tianjin, a major city in China.

Strokes9Radical氵Frequency#11524DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

Tianjin, represented by 津, is a significant historical port city in China, serving as a crucial gateway for trade and cultural exchange. The character thus embodies both geographical and cultural importance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river crossing where a ferry transports people, and picture the sweat running down your face as you wait. The character 津 looks like a river flowing (the water radical 氵) with 'jīn' as the sound you make when you feel the sweat drip.

Meanings of 津

jīn(jin1)
1saliva
2sweat
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 津

津Simplified
9Strokes
氵Radical
简称abbreviation (abbr.)Part of Speech
#11524Frequency Rank

Podcast: 津

JasonAmy

Podcast: 津

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 津

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a river crossing where a ferry transports people, and picture the sweat running down your face as you wait. The character 津 looks like a river flowing (the water radical 氵) with 'jīn' as the sound you make when you feel the sweat drip.

Usage Notes

津 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, especially when discussing transportation or bodily fluids. Common collocations include 津液 (jīn yè, bodily fluids) and 津渡 (jīn dù, to ferry across). Be mindful of the tone; it is pronounced with a high level tone (first tone).

HSK Study Tips

津 is not currently featured in the HSK vocabulary lists but connects to other level-appropriate words related to water and transportation. Students should focus on recognizing its various meanings and contexts, especially in relation to geography and anatomy.

Cultural Note

Tianjin, represented by 津, is a significant historical port city in China, serving as a crucial gateway for trade and cultural exchange. The character thus embodies both geographical and cultural importance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 津 with similar-sounding characters or mispronounce it due to its tone. For example, saying 'jǐn' instead of 'jīn' can change its meaning entirely. Always remember to use the correct tone.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 津

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 津 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 津

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 聿 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)聿
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 津?

Decomposition of 津

IDS Structure⿰氵聿
津Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
聿yu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 津?

Write 津

津

Practice writing 津 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 津

津 carries 6 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

牛____的社交圈过于开放,不合她的胃口.

Oxford's social circle was far too liberal for her taste.

Example Sentences for 津 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
牛津的社交圈过于开放,不合她的胃口.

niú jīn de shè jiāo quān guò yú kāi fàng, , bù hé tā de wèi.

Oxford's social circle was far too liberal for her taste.
2
伊丽莎白·戴维对普罗旺斯菜肴的色香味津津乐道。

yī lì suō bái· · dài wéi duì pǔ luó wàng sī cài yáo de sè xiāng wèi jīn jīn lè。

Elizabeth David enthuses about the taste, fragrance and character of Provencal cuisine.
3
他津津乐道于员工的技能和敬业精神。

tā jīn jīn lè dào yú yuán gōng de jì néng hé jìng yè jīng shén。

He waxed lyrical about the skills and commitment of his employees.
4
莉薇津津有味地大口吃着点心。

lì wēi jīn jīn yǒu wèi dì dà kǒu chī zháo diǎn xīn。

Livy ate the pasties greedily and with huge enjoyment.
5
女校长毕业于牛津大学。

nǚ xiào cháng bì yè yú niú jīn dà xué。

The headmistress was an Oxford woman.
6
我于1961年离开牛津，渴望成为一名评论家。

wǒ yú1961 1961 nián lí kāi niú， jīn ， kě wàng chéng wéi yī míng píng。

I left Oxford in 1961 hungry to be a critic.
7
这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。

zhè bǐ qián jī hū shì tā quán bù jīn tiē de sān fēn zhī yī。

This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.
8
无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。

wú lùn shì shū、 、 zá， zhì ， huán shì， bào zhǐ ， zhī yào néng， nòng dé dào ， tā dū kàn dé。

She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers.
9
他翻到里面的一篇论文,津津有味地读起来.

tā fān dào lǐ miàn de yī piān lùn wén, , jīn jīn yǒu wèi dì dú qǐ.

He turned to an editorial and began reading it with interest.
10
牛津八人划船队使用的是新的轻量船.

niú jīn bā rén huá chuán duì shǐ yòng de shì xīn de qīng liáng chuán.

The Oxford eight is 〔 are 〕 using a new lightweight boat.

Cultural Notes for 津

🏮Cultural insight

Tianjin, represented by 津, is a significant historical port city in China, serving as a crucial gateway for trade and cultural exchange. The character thus embodies both geographical and cultural importance.

Word Family of 津

Compounds2
堻
葏
Words Containing This Character16
天津Tianjin, a municipality in northeast China, abbr. 津
津jīnsaliva
牛津Oxford (city in England)
津贴jīntiēallowance津貼
天津市Tianjin, a municipality in northeast China, abbr. 津
津津乐道to discuss sth enthusiastically津津樂道
无人问津to be of no interest to anyone (idiom)無人問津
津巴布韦Zimbabwe津巴布韋
津津有味jīnjīnyǒuwèito relish
京津Beijing and Tianjin
问津to make inquiries問津
汗津津sweaty
江津Jiangjin suburban district of Chongqing municipality, formerly in Sichuan
天津大学Tianjin University天津大學
牛津大学University of Oxford牛津大學
津液bodily fluids (general term in Chinese medicine)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 天津 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 津

津 can mean saliva, sweat, a ferry crossing, a ford, or refer to the city Tianjin.