精明

jīngmíng
adjective HSK 7 #8,918

Meanings

  1. 1 shrewd; astute; sharp-witted
  2. 2 clever and calculating

Characters

Refined + bright — a mind that is both sharp and perceptive.

Examples

Tā shì yī gè jīngmíng de shāngrén.
He is a shrewd businessman.
Bié xiǎng piàn tā, tā jīngmíng de hěn.
Don't try to fool her, she's very sharp.
Jīngmíng de xiāofèizhě huì huò bǐ sān jiā.
A shrewd consumer will compare prices at multiple stores.

Tips

usage
精明 can be positive (astute, sharp) or slightly negative (calculating, cunning) depending on context. 精明商人 is usually positive, but 精明 (too shrewd) suggests someone is calculating. Compare with 聪明 (clever, purely positive).

Stroke Order

jīng
míng