儘
to the greatest extent; (when used before a noun of location) furthest or extreme; to be within the limits of; to give priority to
Closest English meanings
as much as possible·exhaust
The Calligrapher — Liǔ Gōngquán 柳公权
Tang regular-script master famed for 'bones' of strength; rival to Yan Zhenqing.
Tang calligrapher (778–865), master of regular script — Tang master of bone-strength regular script, paired forever with Yan Zhenqing as 'Yan sinew, Liu bone'. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
Confucius, judging the Shao music, said it was "perfect in beauty and perfect in goodness" — 尽善尽美. The root 尽, kin to 儘, meant to exhaust a thing wholly. To do a task 儘 was to spend oneself on it to the end, leaving nothing held back. The word carried the ideal of the complete act, not the merely adequate.
Common words & phrases
- 尽管 although · despite · even though
- 尽量 as much as possible · try one's best
- 尽情 to heart's content · freely
Read the story behind the character
A singer gives the song 尽情; the host urges guests to eat 尽量. The rule holds 尽管 the rain falls, and a child plays 儘兴 at the fair. The word still means to the full — a feeling spent, a plate cleared, a condition met — the push past enough into all, in the kitchen, the playground, and the soaked evening field.
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