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

HSK 1

趁热吃吧。

Chèn rè chī ba.

Eat it while it's hot.

HSK 2

趁年轻多学一些东西。

Chèn niánqīng duō xué yīxiē dōngxi.

Learn more while you're young.

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