About
The character 紧, with its traditional form 緊, is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic radical 纟 (sī), or 糹 in the traditional form, meaning silk or thread, is positioned at the bottom. The upper component provides the phonetic element: 坚 (jiān) in the simplified version and 堅 in the traditional, which itself conveys firmness or hardness. The original meaning described a physical state, a string or thread pulled taut or bound tightly without slack. From this concrete sense of mechanical tightness, the character's meaning naturally extended to abstract contexts, expressing urgency, tension, strictly enforced rules, or a scarcity of time and resources.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
时间很紧张。
请抓紧时间。
这是紧急情况。
我们紧密合作。
这件衣服太紧了。
这件事非常要紧。
经济紧缩政策有效吗？
紧绷的弦容易断。