Learn a Chinese Character - 今

1. Character Basics

Radical: 人/rén (person radical)

Stroke Count: 4

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jīn (first tone)

3. Meaning

Now, today, current, present, modern, this, immediate time frame, contemporary

4. Common Words

• 今天 (jīn tiān) - today

  今天是星期一。

  Today is Monday.

• 今年 (jīn nián) - this year

  今年夏天很热。

  This summer is very hot.

• 现在 (xiàn zài) - now, currently

  我现在很忙。

  I'm busy now.

• 今后 (jīn hòu) - from now on, in the future

  今后我们要更加努力。

  We need to work harder from now on.

• 今日 (jīn rì) - today

  今日事今日毕。

  Today's work should be done today.

• 今生 (jīn shēng) - this life

  今生今世，永不分离。

  In this life, we will never be separated.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 今 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As a time adverb:

  Used to indicate the present time or current state

  Example: 今人 (jīn rén) - modern people, 今世 (jīn shì) - this world

• In compound time words:

  Frequently combined with other characters to form time-related expressions

  Examples: 今天 (today), 今年 (this year), 今早 (this morning), 今晚 (tonight)

• In comparative structures:

  Often used with 古 (ancient) to compare past and present

  Example: 古今对比 (comparison between ancient and modern times)

• In idiomatic expressions:

  古今中外 (from ancient to modern, both Chinese and foreign)

  今是昨非 (today is right, yesterday was wrong)

  抚今追昔 (recall the past and compare it with the present)

• In formal written Chinese:

  今日 (jīn rì) - more formal than 今天

  今兹 (jīn zī) - now, at present (literary)

• In spoken Chinese:

  今儿 (jīn ér) - today (colloquial)

  这会儿 (zhè huì ér) - at this moment (colloquial)

The character 今 is primarily used to refer to the present time and is an essential component of Chinese temporal expressions.

6. Cultural Background

The character 今 holds significant cultural importance in Chinese society:

• In traditional Chinese philosophy, the concept of "now" (今) has deep meaning. Philosophers like Confucius emphasized the importance of living in the present and fulfilling one's duties in the current moment.
• The saying "今日事今日毕" (Today's work should be done today) reflects the traditional Chinese value of diligence and responsibility.
• Chinese culture places great importance on learning from the past to inform the present. This is reflected in expressions like "以古鉴今" (use the past to illuminate the present).
• In Chinese literature and poetry, 今 is often used to evoke a sense of transience and the importance of cherishing the present moment.
• Traditional Chinese festivals often have rituals that connect the past with the present, emphasizing continuity across generations.
• The character 今 is also used in historical records to distinguish between the time of writing and earlier periods, showing the importance of temporal perspective in Chinese historical thinking.

Overall, the character 今 embodies important cultural values related to time, responsibility, and the connection between past, present, and future in Chinese thought.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 今 (jīn) is a simple character with 4 strokes. Here are some tips to help you remember it:

1. Visualize the character: The top part resembles a person (人 radical) with something below it, representing a person in the present moment.
2. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like "今天" (today), which you'll use frequently in conversation.
3. Use mnemonics: Imagine the character as a person standing in the "now" moment, representing the concept of present time.
4. Notice that the pronunciation "jīn" rhymes with the English word "gin" (with a different tone), which can help with memorization.
5. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the left撇 (piě), then the right捺 (nà), followed by the点 (diǎn) and横折 (héng zhé).
6. Learn related words and phrases that include 今 to reinforce your memory and understanding of its usage.

With its simple structure and frequent use in daily language, 今 is a fundamental character that every Chinese language learner should master early on.