勤奋
Traditional: 勤奮
qín fèn HSK 5

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

他是一个勤奋的学生。
Tā shì yīgè qínfèn de xuéshēng.
He is a diligent student.
勤奋工作能带来成功。
Qínfèn gōngzuò néng dài lái chénggōng.
Diligent work can bring success.
她每天勤奋地学习。
Tā měitiān qínfèn de xuéxí.
She studies diligently every day.
他很勤奋。
Tā hěn qínfèn.
He is very diligent.
她学习很勤奋。
Tā xuéxí hěn qínfèn.
She studies very diligently.

💡 Memory Tip

Break the characters down: 勤 (qín) means 'industrious' or 'frequent,' and 奋 (fèn) means 'to exert oneself' or 'to strive.' Think: 'Frequently (勤) striving (奋) makes you diligent.'

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and is common in both spoken and written Chinese. It is frequently used in educational, professional, and personal development contexts to praise someone's work ethic. For example, it's common to describe students, employees, or anyone striving toward an objective.

📖 Grammar Points

As an adjective, 勤奋 can be used attributively (e.g., 勤奋的学生) or predicatively (e.g., 他很勤奋). It is often modified by degree adverbs like 非常, 很, 十分. It can also be used in comparative structures (e.g., 他比你勤奋).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 勤奋 is a highly valued virtue, associated with success, self-improvement, and contributing to family or society. It is a traditional Confucian ideal, emphasizing the moral worth of hard work and perseverance.

🔄 Similar Words

努力 (nǔlì) also means 'to work hard' but is more general and can be a verb or adjective, often emphasizing the act of trying hard. 勤奋 is specifically an adjective describing a diligent character or habitual attitude. 勤劳 (qínláo) is similar but often relates specifically to physical labor or general industriousness in life.

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