noun / adjective HSK 4
essence · spirit · refined · skilled · 精华 (quintessence) · energy
Meaning
精 originally referred to refined rice or grain, representing the purest, best part of something. It evolved to mean essence, spirit, or vital energy in both physical and abstract senses. As an adjective, it describes something refined, skilled, or of high quality.
Usage
精 is commonly used in compounds rather than alone. It appears in words related to skill (精通 'proficient'), mental state (精神 'spirit/energy'), concentration (精力 'energy'), and quality (精美 'exquisite'). When used alone as an adjective, it means 'skilled' or 'refined'.
Examples
- 01她做事很精细。.She does things very meticulously.
- 02这本书是中国文化的精华。.This book is the essence of Chinese culture.
Common collocations
- 精彩brilliant, wonderful
- 精致delicate, exquisite
- 精明shrewd, astute
- 精确precise, accurate
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 米 (rice) and 青 (blue/green), originally indicating refined, polished rice—the essence of the grain with the husk removed. This concrete meaning extended to abstract concepts of purity and essence.