Learn a Chinese Character - 津

1. Character Basics

Radical: 氵/shuǐ (water)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jīn (first tone)

3. Meaning

Ferry crossing, port, body fluid, Tianjin (city name)

4. Common Words

• 天津 (Tiān jīn): Tianjin (a major city in northern China)
• 津液 (jīn yè): Body fluids (in traditional Chinese medicine)
• 津渡 (jīn dù): Ferry crossing, ferry
• 问津 (wèn jīn): To inquire about (literally: to ask about the ferry crossing)
• 要津 (yào jīn): Strategic pass, key position
• 生津 (shēng jīn): To promote saliva production (of food/drink)

5. Grammar & Usage

As a noun:
- Refers to ferry crossings or ports: 津渡 (jīn dù)
- Refers to body fluids in traditional Chinese medicine: 津液 (jīn yè)
- Used in place names, most famously Tianjin: 天津 (Tiān jīn)

As a component in idioms and expressions:
- 无人问津 (wú rén wèn jīn): No one inquires; deserted or neglected
- 窃据要津 (qiè jù yào jīn): To illegitimately occupy an important position

Collocations:
- Often combined with water-related characters due to its radical: 津水 (jīn shuǐ), 津润 (jīn rùn)
- Used in terms related to traditional medicine: 津津乐道 (jīn jīn lè dào) - to talk with great relish

6. Cultural Background

The character 津 has deep cultural significance in Chinese history and society:

Historical importance:
- In ancient China, ferry crossings (津) were crucial transportation hubs, connecting different regions and facilitating trade and communication.
- The city of Tianjin (天津), whose name means "Heavenly Ford" or "Emperor's Ferry", has been an important port city for centuries.

Traditional Chinese medicine:
- 津液 (jīn yè, body fluids) is a fundamental concept in TCM, referring to all the normal fluids in the body that nourish and moisten tissues.

Literary usage:
- The character appears in many classical texts, often symbolizing connections between places or people.
- The phrase "无人问津" (no one inquires) comes from the famous poem "Peach Blossom Spring" by Tao Yuanming.

Modern significance:
- Tianjin remains one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities and a major economic center.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Character breakdown:
- 氵 (water radical) on the left indicates the character's original connection to water
- 聿 (yù) on the right originally meant "writing brush" or "to write"

Mnemonic:
Imagine a ferry crossing (津) where scholars would gather to write (聿) poems about the flowing water (氵). This connects the meaning of "ferry crossing" with the character's components.

Visual association:
The three dots of the water radical look like droplets, reminding us of the character's association with body fluids in traditional medicine.