Definitions

jīn (noun) lapel; collar; front of garment
jīn (verb) to cherish (ambitions, feelings) in one's heart

Etymology

Cloth  that restricts  also provides the pronunciation

About

The character "襟" is etymologically linked to clothing through its radical "衣", combined with the component "禁" that primarily provides phonetic guidance while possibly alluding to the front-facing or overlapping nature of garment pieces. Its original meaning centered on the crossed front sections of traditional robes, where one panel overlaps another at the chest. Over time, the term expanded to denote the general front part of upper garments, and subsequently, through metaphorical extension, it came to signify the bosom or the seat of emotions and thoughts, as seen in compound words describing mental breadth or emotional depth. This evolution from a specific sartorial feature to an abstract representation of inner qualities demonstrates how the character's semantic range widened while its structural composition remained unchanged in its traditional form.

Example Sentences Hide

她的衣很整洁。

Tā de yījīn hěn zhěngjié.

Her lapel is very neat.

他整理了一下衣

Tā zhěnglǐ le yīxià yījīn.

He straightened his lapel.

他的胸很宽广。

Tā de xiōngjīn hěn kuānguǎng.

His mind is very broad.

他们是连关系。

Tāmen shì liánjīn guānxì.

They are brothers-in-law.

飞机翼已经展开。

Fēijī jīnyì yǐjīng zhǎnkāi.

The aircraft flaps have been deployed.

她用手轻轻抚平衣

Tā yòng shǒu qīngqīng fǔpíng yījīn.

She gently smoothed her lapel with her hand.

他的怀坦白令人敬佩。

Tā de jīnhuái tǎnbái lìngrén jìngpèi.

His open-mindedness is admirable.

在困难面前,他展现了广阔的胸

Zài kùnnan miànqián, tā zhǎnxiàn le guǎngkuò de xiōngjīn.

In the face of difficulties, he demonstrated a broad mind.