菁

jīng

艹 + 青

Definitions

jīng (adjective) lush; luxuriant

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 青 represents the sound.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 青

About

菁 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 艹, a reduced form of 艸 'grass', sits at the top and places the character in the plant category, while 青 below functions as the phonetic. In classical texts, it had two related uses, it designated the flowering part of garlic chives or leeks, and it described vegetation that was exceptionally lush and densely grown. Over time, the meaning shifted metaphorically from the choicest part of a plant to the pure essence, the elite, or the most refined extract of anything.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

菁英人才很重要。

Jīngyīng réncái hěn zhòngyào.

Elite talents are very important.

这个项目需要菁英参与。

Zhège xiàngmù xūyào jīngyīng cānyù.

This project requires elite participation.

提取植物的菁华很难。

Tíqǔ zhíwù de jīnghuá hěn nán.

Extracting the essence of plants is very difficult.

学习语言的菁华需要时间。

Xuéxí yǔyán de jīnghuá xūyào shíjiān.

Learning the essence of language takes time.

只有菁英中的菁英才能胜任这项工作。

Zhǐyǒu jīngyīng zhōng de jīngyīng cáinéng shèngrèn zhè xiàng gōngzuò.

Only the elite among elites can be competent for this job.

文化的菁华需要被保护和传承。

Wénhuà de jīnghuá xūyào bèi bǎohù hé chuánchéng.

The essence of culture needs to be protected and passed down.

尽管竞争激烈，但他凭借菁英教育背景脱颖而出。

Jǐnguǎn jìngzhēng jīliè, dàn tā píngjiè jīngyīng jiàoyù bèijǐng tuōyǐng'érchū.

Despite fierce competition, he stood out with his elite educational background.

在菁英化管理模式下，企业效率显著提升，但员工压力也相应增加。

Zài jīngyīnghuà guǎnlǐ móshì xià, qǐyè xiàolǜ xiǎnzhù tíshēng, dàn yuángōng yālì yě xiāngyìng zēngjiā.

Under the elite management model, corporate efficiency improves significantly, but employee pressure also increases accordingly.

Related Characters

Component: 艹

Component: 青

菁