How to Write 精 (jīng) — Meaning “Refined; essence; energy; excellent.”

Imagine a bowl of rice (米) that is still green (青) and unripe — that unripe rice holds the vital essence (精) of the plant. This visual helps you connect the components to the meaning of "essence" or "energy."

Write the left side 米 with careful stroke order — horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling, then the two dots. Then add 青, making sure the top part (like a small "three" or sprout) is not too wide. The whole character is balanced, with 米 slightly narrower than 青.

粞 (xī) also has 米 but means "broken rice" and is pronounced xī, not jīng. 粟 (sù) means "millet" and has 米 at the bottom, while the top part is 西. The key difference is 精 focuses on refined essence, while 粞 and 粟 are specific types of grain.

精 appears in common words like 精神 (spirit/energy), 精彩 (wonderful/brilliant), and 精美 (exquisite). Culturally, 精 carries a positive idea of being refined or full of vitality, so it is often used in compliments or to describe high-quality things.

Common words containing 精 include: 精神 (jīng shén) — Spirit; mind; energy; vitality.; 精彩 (jīng cǎi) — Wonderful; brilliant; splendid.; 精美 (jīng měi) — Exquisite; elegant; beautiful..