尽 (jìn) is a Chinese character meaning “to use up”. It is written from 尺 (chi (Chinese foot); ruler) and ⺀ (two dots (bottom form)), one enclosing the other, and takes 6 strokes. It has a second reading, jǐn, which turns up in 尽管 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to use up, right to the end”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
尺 + ⺀
Enclosing structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画1–4＝尺，笔画5–6＝下部两点 ⺀）
Memory aid
A ruler (尺) measures all the way down, and the last two drops (⺀) fall out from under it — everything is used up: 尽.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 尽力jìn lìto do one's best尽 = jìn
- 尽头jìn tóuthe end; the far end尽 = jìn
- 人尽皆知rén jìn jiē zhīknown to everyone; common knowledge尽 = jìn
- 绞尽脑汁jiǎo jìn nǎo zhīto rack one's brains尽 = jìn
Go deeper
All readings
to use up; to the utmost
to use up; to exhaust; to the greatest extent; the very end of something
全部用出；完结；末端。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 尽力jìn lìto do one's best尽 = jìn
- 尽头jìn tóuthe end; the far end尽 = jìn
- 人尽皆知rén jìn jiē zhīknown to everyone; common knowledge尽 = jìn
- 绞尽脑汁jiǎo jìn nǎo zhīto rack one's brains尽 = jìn
to the greatest extent; even though
to the greatest extent; feel free to; even though
力求达到最大限度；也表示让步，相当于「虽然」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 尽管jǐn guǎneven though; feel free to尽 = jǐnspoken asjín guǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 尽 mean?
尽 (jìn) means to use up; to exhaust; to the greatest extent; the very end of something.
How do you pronounce 尽?
Its main reading is jìn. It also has a second reading, jǐn, which only shows up in certain words such as 尽管 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 尽 sometimes pronounced jǐn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 尽管 it is read jǐn.
What parts is 尽 made of?
尺 (chi (Chinese foot); ruler) and ⺀ (two dots (bottom form)), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画1–4＝尺，笔画5–6＝下部两点 ⺀）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 尽 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 尽?
尸. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 尽?
Common ones are 尽力 and 尽头. The reading of 尽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.