净

凈/淨

jìng

争 + 冫

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

jìng (adjective) clean; pure

jìng (adverb) only; merely

jìng (adjective) net (income, profit)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 冫 represents the meaning and 争 represents the sound. Simplified form of 淨.

Semantic: 冫 Phonetic: 争

About

净 is a phonosemantic compound, combining the ice radical 冫 (meaning) with the phonetic 争 (sound). It is the simplified form of 淨, where the traditional character used the water radical 氵 to convey washing or cleansing, and the phonetic 爭. The original meaning centered on being physically clean, unpolluted, and free of dirt. Over time, this concrete sense of cleanliness expanded to more abstract applications: the character can indicate that something is done completely, express a state of absolute purity, or refer to the net amount remaining after all deductions.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个房间很干净。

Zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng.

This room is very clean.

我喜欢喝净水。

Wǒ xǐhuan hē jìngshuǐ.

I like to drink purified water.

她的手很干净。

Tā de shǒu hěn gānjìng.

Her hands are very clean.

空气净化器很有用。

Kōngqì jìnghuàqì hěn yǒuyòng.

The air purifier is very useful.

这箱苹果的净重是十公斤。

Zhè xiāng píngguǒ de jìngzhòng shì shí gōngjīn.

The net weight of this box of apples is ten kilograms.

公司去年的净利润很高。

Gōngsī qùnián de jìnglìrùn hěn gāo.

The company's net profit last year was very high.

他的月净收入超过一万元。

Tā de yuè jìngshōurù chāoguò yī wàn yuán.

His monthly net income exceeds ten thousand yuan.

净化水资源对保护环境至关重要。

Jìnghuà shuǐ zīyuán duì bǎohù huánjìng zhìguān zhòngyào.

Purifying water resources is crucial for protecting the environment.

Related Characters

Component: 争

Component: 冫

净