[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fh_hq8naQXK-VUzvTNWqOBZWl2j88HnW7Gd0vTEVvTeU":3},{"success":4,"data":5},true,{"id":6,"group_id":7,"locale":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"level":11,"content":12,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"cover_image_url":15,"is_published":4,"created_at":16,"updated_at":16,"type":17,"alternate_urls":18,"examples":19,"quizzes":33},45,"47786028-4ac9-47cc-b1c6-88f6928b7d74","en","chinese-grammar-verb-jin-exhaustion","Mastering V+尽 (jìn): How to Express 'Exhaustion' and 'Completeness' in Chinese","HSK 4","## 1. Meaning and Usage\n\nIn Chinese, the character **尽 (jìn)** can function as a result complement when placed directly after a verb. In this structure, **\"V + 尽\"** indicates that an action has been carried out to its absolute limit, leaving nothing left, or that a particular resource has been completely exhausted or used up. \n\nWhile it shares similarities with standard complements like 完 (wán - to finish) and 光 (guāng - to be empty\u002Fgone), \"V + 尽\" has distinct characteristics:\n1. **Formal and Written Tone:** It is highly formal, literary, and frequently used in written Chinese, idioms, or set expressions.\n2. **Abstract Focus:** It is most commonly paired with abstract nouns (such as strength, ideas, patience, or life hardships) rather than concrete physical objects (like food or money).\n\n---\n\n## 2. Formulas and Examples\n\n### Case 1: Exhausting Abstract Resources or Strength\nThis formula is used when physical energy, mental capacity, or abstract resources are completely drained or depleted by an action.\n\n$$Subject + Verb + 尽 + (了) + Object$$\n\n> **他用尽了全身的力量才把门推开。**\n> *Tā yòngjìn le quánshēn de lìliàng cái bǎ mén tuīkāi.*\n> He used up all his physical strength to push the door open.\n\n> **漫长的等待终于耗尽了她的耐心。**\n> *Màncháng de děngdài zhōngyú hàojìn le tā de nàixīn.*\n> The long wait finally exhausted her patience.\n\n### Case 2: Experiencing or Trying to the Utmost Limit\nThis formula occurs in highly idiomatic, fixed collocations where the subject experiences a state or performs a mental search to the absolute maximum limit.\n\n$$Verb + 尽 + Object$$\n\n> **为了解决这个问题，我们想尽了办法。**\n> *Wèile jiějué zhège wèntí, wǒmen xiǎngjìn le bànfǎ.*\n> To solve this problem, we tried every possible way.\n\n> **他独自一人在国外闯荡，吃尽了苦头。**\n> *Tā dúzì yīrén zài guówài chuǎngdàng, chījìn le kǔtóu.*\n> Roaming abroad alone, he suffered all kinds of hardships.\n\n---\n\n## 3. Essential HSK Tips & Common Mistakes\n\n### Tip 1: Do Not Use \"V + 尽\" for Concrete Physical Objects\nA common mistake made by English speakers is treating 尽 (jìn) as a direct synonym for 完 (wán) or 光 (guāng). You cannot use \"V + 尽\" to describe eating food, spending cash, or finishing a book. \n\n*   **Incorrect:** 我吃尽了盘子里的菜。 (chījìn is incorrect here)\n*   **Correct:** 我吃光了盘子里的菜。 (chīguāng is correct)\n\n> **我吃光了盘子里的菜。**\n> *Wǒ chīguāng le pánzi lǐ de cài.*\n> I ate up all the food on the plate.\n\n### Tip 2: Learn High-Frequency HSK Idioms and Collocations\nIn HSK exams (especially Levels 4 to 6), \"V + 尽\" is rarely used creatively. Instead, it appears in specific, high-yield vocabulary words. Memorizing these key combinations is essential for the reading and writing sections:\n*   **取之不尽** (qǔ zhī bú jìn): Inexhaustible (literally: \"take from it without exhausting it\")\n*   **无穷无尽** (wú qióng wú jìn): Endless \u002F infinite\n*   **历尽艰辛** (lìjìn jiānxīn): To go through all kinds of hardships\n*   **言尽于此** (yán jìn yú cǐ): That is all I have to say \u002F I've said my piece\n\n> **大自然为我们提供了取之不尽的清洁能源。**\n> *Dàzìrán wèi wǒmen tígōng le qǔzhī bújìn de qīngjié néngyuán.*\n> Nature provides us with an inexhaustible supply of clean energy.\n\n### Tip 3: The Potential Complement Form \"V + 得\u002F不 + 尽\"\nJust like other result complements, \"V + 尽\" can be converted into a potential complement using 得 (dé) or 不 (bù) to indicate whether something *can* or *cannot* be completely exhausted.\n\n$$Verb + 得\u002F不 + 尽$$\n\n> **这里的风景美得说不尽。**\n> *Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng měi de shuōbujìn.*\n> The beauty of the scenery here cannot be fully described in words.","Master V+尽 (jìn) in Chinese: Expressing Completeness","Learn how to use the Chinese grammar structure Verb + 尽 (jìn) to express completeness, exhaustion, or doing something to the limit. With clear examples.",null,"2026-07-02T00:15:43.952Z","structure",{"en":9},[20,27],{"id":21,"topic_id":6,"source_type":22,"song_id":15,"chinese_sentence":23,"pinyin_sentence":24,"translation":25,"explanation":26,"created_at":16},101,"ai_standard","为了搬运这个大箱子，他用尽了全身的力量。","Wèile bānyùn zhège dà xiāngzi, tā yòngjìn le quánshēn de lìliàng.","To move this big box, he used up all his strength.","In this sentence, '用' (to use) is combined with the resultative complement '尽' (exhausted\u002Fup) to mean 'to use up' or 'to exhaust' one's physical strength.",{"id":28,"topic_id":6,"source_type":22,"song_id":15,"chinese_sentence":29,"pinyin_sentence":30,"translation":31,"explanation":32,"created_at":16},102,"他在创业的过程中吃尽了苦头。","Tā zài chuàngyè de guòchéng zhōng chījìn le kǔtou.","He suffered all kinds of hardships during the process of starting his business.","Here, '吃' (to eat\u002Fendure) combines with '尽' (to the limit\u002Fcompletely) in the common collocation '吃尽苦头', which means to experience or suffer hardships to the absolute fullest.",[34,44,54],{"id":35,"topic_id":6,"question_text":36,"options":37,"correct_answer_index":42,"explanation_answer":43,"created_at":16},133,"请选择最合适的一项填入空格内：\n为了挽救这家濒临破产的老字号，大家______了心思，终于研发出了迎合年轻消费者口味的新产品。",[38,39,40,41],"A. 费尽","B. 耗尽","C. 想尽","D. 竭尽",0,"Option A '费尽' (fèijìn) is correct because it collocated perfectly with '心思' (xīnsī - thought\u002Feffort) to form the common expression '费尽心思' (to rack one's brains \u002F to exhaust one's mental efforts). '耗尽' (B) means 'to deplete\u002Fconsume' and usually collocates with resources or physical energy (e.g., 耗尽精力, 耗尽资源). '想尽' (C) means 'to think of all [ways]' and collocates with '办法' (e.g., 想尽办法). '竭尽' (D) means 'to exhaust\u002Fdo one's utmost' and is typically used in the idiom '竭尽全力' (to do everything in one's power).",{"id":45,"topic_id":6,"question_text":46,"options":47,"correct_answer_index":52,"explanation_answer":53,"created_at":16},134,"下列句子中，没有语法错误的一项是：",[48,49,50,51],"A. 爷爷一生坎坷，历了尽人间的风雨，依然保持着乐观的心态。","B. 这座山上的美景奇特壮观，真是让人看一辈子也看不尽。","C. 由于连续几天的暴雨，水库里的蓄水已经快要流尽不剩了。","D. 只要我们不气馁，就一定能想办法尽来解决眼前这个难题。",1,"Option B is correct. '看不尽' (kànbujìn) is a grammatically correct potential complement structure meaning 'cannot see all of it' or 'endless to look at'. \n- In Option A, the aspect marker '了' is placed incorrectly; it must follow the entire compound verb, making it '历尽了' instead of '历了尽'. \n- In Option C, '流尽不剩' is redundant because '尽' already means 'exhausted\u002Fcompletely gone'; it should be simply '流尽了'. \n- In Option D, '想办法尽' is incorrect word order; the resultative verb compound must be '想尽办法' (try every possible way).",{"id":55,"topic_id":6,"question_text":56,"options":57,"correct_answer_index":52,"explanation_answer":62,"created_at":16},135,"下列句子中，有语法错误的一项是：",[58,59,60,61],"A. 经过连续24小时的抢救，医护人员都已经非常疲惫，几乎耗尽了所有的体力。","B. 尽管他已经很用尽了全力，但最终还是以微弱的差距输掉了比赛。","C. 母亲一辈子默默奉献，为这个家庭操碎了心，也尝尽了生活的艰辛。","D. 宇宙的奥秘无穷无尽，人类目前所探索到的领域不过是沧海一粟。","Option B contains a grammatical error. '用尽' (yòngjìn) means 'to exhaust\u002Fuse up completely' and acts as an absolute resultative complement. Because it represents an extreme, absolute state of completion, it cannot be modified by degree adverbs like '很' (very) or '非常' (extremely). The word '很' should be removed to make the sentence grammatically correct: '尽管他已经用尽了全力...'"]