精

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

精 (Kangxi radical 119, 米+8, 14 strokes, cangjie input 火木手一月 (FDQMB), four-corner 9592₇, composition ⿰米青(GHTJV) or ⿰米靑(K or U+FA1D))

Derived characters

• 𡁔, 𪇒, 𦾿, 𧓔 (Contains 青)
• 𭨇 (Contains 靑)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 910, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 26997
• Dae Jaweon: page 1336, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3150, character 11
• Unihan data for U+7CBE

• Unihan data for U+FA1D

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Chinese

trad.		精
simp. #		精

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (生) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
猜	*sʰlɯː
輤	*sʰleːns
綪	*sʰleːns, *ʔsreːŋ
倩	*sʰleːns, *sʰleŋs
棈	*sʰleːns
蒨	*sʰeːns
篟	*sʰeːns
生	*sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs
牲	*sreŋ
笙	*sreŋ
甥	*sreŋ
鉎	*sreŋ, *sleːŋ
珄	*sreŋ
鼪	*sreŋ, *sreŋs
猩	*sreŋ, *seːŋ
狌	*sreŋ
眚	*sreŋʔ
貹	*sreŋs
崝	*zreːŋ
精	*ʔsleŋ, *ʔsleŋs
菁	*ʔsleŋ
鶄	*ʔsleŋ, *sʰleːŋ
蜻	*ʔsleŋ, *sʰleːŋ
鼱	*ʔsleŋ
婧	*ʔsleŋ, *zleŋs, *zleŋʔ
睛	*ʔsleŋ, *sʰleŋʔ
箐	*ʔsleŋ
聙	*ʔsleŋ
旌	*ʔsleŋ
清	*sʰleŋ
圊	*sʰleŋ
請	*sʰleŋʔ, *zleŋs, *zleŋ
凊	*sʰleŋs
䝼	*zleŋs, *zleŋ
靚	*zleŋs
情	*zleŋ
晴	*zleŋ
夝	*zleŋ
靜	*zleŋʔ
靖	*zleŋʔ
睲	*seŋʔ, *seːŋs
惺	*seŋʔ, *seːŋ
性	*sleŋs
姓	*sleŋs
靗	*l̥ʰeŋs
鯖	*ʔljeŋ, *sʰleːŋ
青	*sʰleːŋ
靘	*sʰleːŋ, *sʰleːŋs
掅	*sʰleːŋs
胜	*sleːŋ
曐	*sleːŋ
星	*sleːŋ
鮏	*sleːŋ
腥	*seːŋ, *seːŋs
鯹	*seːŋ
醒	*seːŋ, *seːŋʔ, *seːŋs
篂	*seːŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ʔsleŋ, *ʔsleŋs) : semantic 米 (“rice”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ) – polished rice.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīng (jing¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zing¹ / zeng¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chîn
• Northern Min (KCR): céng
• Eastern Min (BUC): cĭng / ciăng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): cheng / chiaⁿ / chiⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zêng¹ / zian¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹jin

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jing
    • Wade–Giles: ching¹
    • Yale: jīng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jing
    • Palladius: цзин (czin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: zing¹ / zeng¹
    • Yale: jīng / jēng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzing¹ / dzeng¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: jing¹ / zéng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɪŋ⁵⁵/, /t͡sɛːŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• zing1 - literary;
• zeng1 - vernacular (“smart; clever”).

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chîn
    • Hakka Romanization System: jin´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: jin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sin²⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: céng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡seiŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cĭng / ciăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siŋ⁵⁵/, /t͡siaŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• cĭng - literary;
• ciăng - vernacular.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cheng / chiaⁿ / chiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tsing / tsiann / tsinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zefng, cviaf, cvy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/, /t͡siã⁴⁴/, /t͡sĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɪŋ³³/, /t͡siã³³/, /t͡sĩ³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/, /t͡siã⁴⁴/, /t͡sĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/, /t͡siã⁴⁴/, /t͡sĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/, /t͡siã⁴⁴/, /t͡sĩ⁴⁴/

Note:

• cheng - literary;
• chiaⁿ, chiⁿ - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: zêng¹ / zian¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tseng / tsiaⁿ
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡seŋ³³/, /t͡sĩã³³/

Note:

• zêng1 - literary;
• zian1 - vernacular (“demon; lean”).

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹jin
    • MiniDict: jin^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹jjin
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /d͡ʑin⁵³/

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• Middle Chinese: tsjeng

Rime
Character	精
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	子盈切
Baxter	tsjeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siᴇŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siɛŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siæŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡siajŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡siɛŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭɛŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯ɛŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jīng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tseŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsleŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	精
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jīng
Middle Chinese	‹ tsjeng ›
Old Chinese	/*tseŋ/
English	fine rice; pure
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	精
Reading #	1/2
No.	11327
Phonetic component	生
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	精
Old Chinese	/*ʔsleŋ/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 精

1. polished rice
2. essence; energy
3. spirit; energy; vigour
4. seminal fluid; semen
5. spirit; soul
6. essence; concentrate
7. demon; goblin
8. (dialectal, of meat) lean
9. fine; refined
10. pure; unmixed
11. concentrated; sincere
12. clear; bright
13. exquisite; profound
14. extremely; very

    叫雨淋了個精溼 [MSC, trad.]
    叫雨淋了个精湿 [MSC, simp.]

    jiào yǔ lín le ge jīng shī [Pinyin]

    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

15. to be proficient; to be expert at
16. to expose; to be bare
17. smart; clever

    你以為你能玩兒得過他？他可精了。誰算計誰還不一定呢！ [MSC, trad.]
    你以为你能玩儿得过他？他可精了。谁算计谁还不一定呢！ [MSC, simp.]

    Nǐ yǐwéi nǐ néng wánr de guò tā? Tā kě jīng le. Shéi suànji shéi hái bùyīdìng ne! [Pinyin]

    You think you could defeat him? He is witted and alert. That who's going to set whom up is not certain yet!

18. (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 睛
19. (～母) (phonology) a Middle Chinese initial and the 'Phags-pa script letter ꡒ (dz-)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 精液 (“semen”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		精
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		精液
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	精液, 㞞
	Taiwan	精液, 洨, 精
	Harbin	㞞, 雞巴湯兒
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	㞞
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	㞞, 精
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	㞞
	Wanrong	㞞
	Xi'an	㞞
	Xining	㞞
	Xuzhou	㞞
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	㞞
	Lanzhou	㞞
	Ürümqi	㞞
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	精水, 精液, 頭兒油, 化豬油, 豬油
	Wuhan	漿
	Guiyang	精水
	Liuzhou	精水
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	㞞
	Yangzhou	㞞
Cantonese	Guangzhou	𨳍水
	Hong Kong	精液, 精
	Dongguan	精液
	Shaoguan	精水
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	𨳍水
	Nanning	𨳍水, 炮油
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	精液
Gan	Lichuan	精
Hakka	Meixian	𡳞屎
	Xingning	𡳞屎
	Dabu (Xihe)	精液, 𡳞屎
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	𡳞屎
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	𡳞屎, 潲
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	𡳞屎
	Wuhua (Changbu)	𡳞屎
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	𡳞屎, 潲水
	Jiexi	𡳞屎
	Changting	淫
	Longyan (Yongding)	潲
	Longyan (Gaobei, Yongding)	精子
	Longyan (Hukeng, Yongding)	潲膏
	Liancheng (Juxi)	脧仁
	Liancheng (Laiyuan)	精
	Yudu	卵屎
	Ruijin	卵屎
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	潲
	Miaoli (Gongguan; N. Sixian)	潲
	Miaoli (Zhuolan; N. Sixian)	潲
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	潲
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	精水
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	潲
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	精水
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	𡳞屎
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	𡳞屎
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	𡳞屎
	Miaoli (Zhuolan; Raoping)	潲
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	潲
	Hong Kong	𡳞屎
	Kuala Lumpur (Dabu)	精液
	Senai (Huiyang)	𡳞屎
	Bangkok (Meixian)	𡳞屎
	Bangkok (Fengshun)	𡳞屎
Huizhou	Jixi	㞞, 鳥漿
	Shexian	㞞
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	精, 㞞
Jin	Taiyuan	精液
	Pingyao	㞞
	Xinzhou	㞞, 㞞糊子
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	精
Southern Min	Xiamen	潲
	Quanzhou	潲
	Zhangzhou	潲
	Zhao'an	潲
	Taipei	潲
	Taipei (Wanhua)	潲
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	潲
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	潲
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	潲
	Kaohsiung	潲
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	潲
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	潲
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	潲
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	潲
	Yilan	潲
	Yilan (Luodong)	潲
	Yilan (Toucheng)	潲, 精水
	Changhua (Lukang)	潲
	Taichung	潲
	Taichung (Wuqi)	潲
	Tainan	潲, 精水
	Tainan (Anping)	潲
	Taitung	精
	Hsinchu	潲
	Kinmen	潲
	Penghu (Magong)	潲
	Penghu (Xiyu)	潲
	Penang (Hokkien)	潲
	Singapore (Hokkien)	潲
	Manila (Hokkien)	潲
	Longyan	潲
	Chaozhou	潲
	Jieyang	潲
	Haifeng	潲, 潲水
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	精
	Wenchang	精
	Haikou	精
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	精, 𨳍水
Wu	Shanghai	精, 白脫油, 白脫
	Shanghai (Chongming)	㞞
	Suzhou	精
	Danyang	㞞
	Hangzhou	㞞, 陽水
	Ningbo	卵漿, 漿水
	Wenzhou	頹漿
	Jinhua	㞞
Xiang	Changsha	卵漿, 精子
	Xiangxiang	卵射漿, 精液
	Loudi	卵水, 水, 漿, 烏龜尿

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jìng (jing⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jìng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jìng
    • Wade–Giles: ching⁴
    • Yale: jìng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinq
    • Palladius: цзин (czin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/

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• Middle Chinese: tsjengH

Rime
Character	精
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	子姓切
Baxter	tsjengH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siᴇŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siɛŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siæŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡siajŋH/
Li Rong	/t͡siɛŋH/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭɛŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯ɛŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jìng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing3

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsleŋs/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	精
Reading #	2/2
No.	11337
Phonetic component	生
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	精
Old Chinese	/*ʔsleŋs/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 精

1. ^‡ strong

Pronunciation 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 精 – see 晴 (“clear; fine; cloudless”). (This character is a variant form of 晴).

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

精

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. essence

Readings

• Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō ^†)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
• Kun: くわしい (kuwashii, 精しい); しらげる (shirageru, 精げる)
• Nanori: きよ (kiyo)

Compounds

Compounds

• 甘精(かんせい) (kansei): saccharin
• 糊精(こせい) (kosei): dextrin
• 蔘精(じんせい) (jinsei): ginseng extract
• 地精(ちせい) (chisei): ginseng

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
精
せい Grade: 5
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 精 (t͡siᴇŋ, “essence, energy”). Compare modern Mandarin reading jīng.

Adjective

精(せい) • (sei) -na (adnominal 精(せい)な (sei na), adverbial 精(せい)に (sei ni))

1. detailed, conscientious
2. pure, refined

Inflection

Inflection of 精

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	精だろ	せいだろ	sei daro
Continuative (連用形)	精で	せいで	sei de
Terminal (終止形)	精だ	せいだ	sei da
Attributive (連体形)	精な	せいな	sei na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	精なら	せいなら	sei nara
Imperative (命令形)	精であれ	せいであれ	sei de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	精ではない 精じゃない	せいではない せいじゃない	sei de wa nai sei ja nai
Informal past	精だった	せいだった	sei datta
Informal negative past	精ではなかった 精じゃなかった	せいではなかった せいじゃなかった	sei de wa nakatta sei ja nakatta
Formal	精です	せいです	sei desu
Formal negative	精ではありません 精じゃありません	せいではありません せいじゃありません	sei de wa arimasen sei ja arimasen
Formal past	精でした	せいでした	sei deshita
Formal negative past	精ではありませんでした 精じゃありませんでした	せいではありませんでした せいじゃありませんでした	sei de wa arimasen deshita sei ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	精で	せいで	sei de
Conditional	精なら（ば）	せいなら（ば）	sei nara (ba)
Provisional	精だったら	せいだったら	sei dattara
Volitional	精だろう	せいだろう	sei darō
Adverbial	精に	せいに	sei ni
Degree	精さ	せいさ	seisa

Noun

精(せい) • (sei) 

1. polishing, refining
2. care, conscientiousness
3. something polished or refined, particularly polished white rice
4. vim and vigor, energy in doing things
5. life force, vitality, the energy of living
6. one's emotions, mind, or soul
7. the soul or spirit of a thing, particularly when appearing on its own; a fairy, a sprite
8. semen

Synonyms

• (polishing): 研磨(けんま) (kenma)
• (refining): 精製(せいせい) (seisei)
• (polished rice): 精米(せいまい) (seimai); 白米(はくまい) (hakumai)
• (care): 念入(ねんい)り (nen'iri)
• (vim): 元気(げんき) (genki)
• (vigor): 精力(せいりょく) (seiryoku)
• (emotions): 心(こころ) (kokoro)
• (mind): 精神(せいしん) (seishin)
• (soul): 魂(たましい) (tamashī)
• (spirit): 精霊(せいれい) (seirei)
• (sprite): 妖精(ようせい) (yōsei)
• (semen): 精液(せいえき) (seieki)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
精
しらげ Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Noun stem of verb 精げる (shirageru, “to polish, to refine”), itself derived from 白 (shira, “white”, form used in compounds, usually shiro on its own) + ぐ (gu, verbalizing suffix), originally just meaning to whiten something.

Noun

精(しらげ) • (shirage) 

1. rice polishing, rice milling
2. polished or milled rice
3. excellence

Synonyms

• (rice polishing): 米磨(こめとぎ) (kometogi)
• (polished rice): 精米(せいまい) (seimai); 白米(はくまい) (hakumai)
• (excellence): 優秀(ゆうしょう) (yūshō)

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Korean

Hanja

精 • (jeong) (hangeul 정, revised jeong, McCune–Reischauer chŏng, Yale ceng)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 精 (tinh, tênh)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.