趁

chèn

preposition HSK 7-9 #2,962

Meanings

1 to take advantage of
2 to avail oneself of
3 while (an opportunity exists)

Characters

趁

chèn

to take advantage of (a situation)

Examples

趁年轻多学一些东西。

Chèn niánqīng duō xué yīxiē dōngxi.

Learn more while you're young.

趁热吃吧。

Chèn rè chī ba.

Eat it while it's hot.

Tips

grammar

趁 + condition/time + verb: 趁年轻 (while young), 趁热 (while hot), 趁还来得及 (while there's still time).

Components

radical

走 zǒu

to walk; run

Walking-running radical wraps the bottom-left — a pictograph of a person mid-stride with a foot below. It marks 趁 in the motion-with-haste family: 起 to rise, 越 to cross, 趋 to hurry. Here it gives the verb its core kinetic feel — to seize a moment requires running toward it.

phonetic

㐱 zhěn

thick hair; fine pattern (here phonetic)

Top-right is 㐱, an obscure component meaning thick hair or fine streaks. It supplies the sound — zhěn drifting to chèn, regular alternation between zh/ch initials. Same phonetic in 诊 to diagnose, 珍 precious, 疹 rash. Here motion plus 㐱 yields 'to chase the right pattern of moments' — to take advantage of a chance.

Stroke Order

趁 chèn

趁