进
to enter; to go in
jìn
What does 进 mean?
进 (jìn) means 'to enter' or 'to go in / come in' — the basic verb of motion into a space. It works for entering rooms, buildings, schools, companies, or markets. The key thing for English speakers: Chinese is directional. 进来 (jìn lái) means 'come in' (toward the speaker), 进去 (jìn qù) means 'go in' (away from the speaker).
When you knock and a Chinese speaker says 请进 ('please enter'), they're inviting you in; if you're outside calling them, they say 我进去了 ('I'm going in'). 进 is also a common verb suffix indicating movement inward — 走进 (walk in), 跑进 (run in), 搬进 (move in). It appears in many compound words: 进入 (enter formally), 进步 (progress, lit. 'step in'), 进行
Character breakdown
to enter; advance
Memory hook: The walk radical 辶 + 井 (well) — to step toward and into something. The simplified character lost the original phonetic but kept the motion idea.
Example sentences
请进！
Qǐng jìn!
Please come in!
polite, spoken
他进了房间。
Tā jìn le fángjiān.
He entered the room.
neutral
我们进去看看吧。
Wǒmen jìn qù kàn kan ba.
Let's go in and have a look.
spoken
你进来一下。
Nǐ jìn lái yíxià.
Come in for a sec.
spoken, casual
Common phrases with 进
Synonyms
进入 is the more formal, written version. Use 进入 in news, reports, and signs ('进入新阶段' = 'enter a new phase'). Use plain 进 in everyday speech ('我进屋了').
入 is more literary and rarely stands alone in modern speech — it appears in compounds like 入学 (enroll), 入口 (entrance). Use 进 in conversation; 入 in fixed expressions and writing.
Don't confuse 进 with
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 进 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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