献殷勤

獻殷勤

xiànyīnqín

verb #23,248

Meanings

1 to be particularly attentive to
2 to fawn upon
3 to court someone's favor
4 to ingratiate oneself
5 to flatter

Characters

to offer; to present; to dedicate

prosperous; earnest; ardent

diligent; attentive; industrious

Examples

他一看到漂亮姑娘就开始献殷勤。

Tā yī kàn dào piàoliang gūniang jiù kāishǐ xiàn yīnqín.

As soon as he sees a pretty girl, he starts fawning over her.

下属频繁给领导送礼、献殷勤，令人不齿。

Xiàshǔ pínfán gěi lǐngdǎo sòng lǐ, xiàn yīnqín, lìng rén bù chǐ.

The subordinate's frequent gift-giving and flattery of the boss is contemptible.

Tips

usage

献殷勤 carries a mildly negative or ironic tone — it implies that the attention being paid is self-serving or excessive. The proverb 无事献殷勤，非奸即盗 (if someone is unaccountably attentive, they must have an ulterior motive) reflects this suspicion.

Stroke Order

献 xiàn

殷 yīn

勤 qín