精干

精幹
jīnggàn
adjective #36,174

Meanings

  1. 1 sharp and capable
  2. 2 lean and effective
  3. 3 (of troops or units) crack, elite

Examples

Tā shì wèi jīnggàn de niánqīng jīnglǐ.
He's a sharp, capable young manager.
Gōngsī zǔjiàn le yī zhī jīnggàn de yánfā tuánduì.
The company put together a lean, effective R&D team.

Tips

usage
Carries two intertwined ideas: (jīng, 'fine/refined/skillful') and (gàn, 'to do, capable'). Together: 'distilled to capability'. Used both for individuals (sharp, no-nonsense) and for organizations (small but high-performing). Compare 能干 (nénggàn, 'able, competent') — neutral capability vs. 精干's 'lean and sharp' connotation.
mistakes
here is gàn (4th tone, 'to do'), not gān (1st tone, 'dry'). Reading it 'jīnggān' would mean nothing.

Stroke Order

jīng
gàn