Expressing "as much as possible" with "jinliang"
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尽量 (jǐnliàng) is an adverb meaning "as much as possible" or "to the greatest extent." In this article, we will do our best to explain how to use it!
Contents
Structure
Using 尽量 is as simple as adding it before a verb (or adjective).
尽量 + Verb / Adj.
Examples
- 我 会 尽量 想 办法 帮 你 的。I will try my best to figure out something to help you.
- 我 会 把 我 知道 的 尽量 告诉 你 。 I'll do my best to tell you everything I know.
- 你 看 书 吧，我 尽量 不 打扰 你。Go ahead and study, I'll do my best to not disturb you.
- 你 是 哥哥，要 尽量 照顾 好 妹妹。You are the big brother and you should try your best to look after your little sister.
- 父母 应该 尽量 多 陪 陪 孩子。Parents should spend as much time as possible with their children.
- 我们 要 尽量 避免 问 这 种 问题，有的 客户 会 感觉 很 不 舒服 的。We should avoid asking this kind of questions, which could make some clients very uncomfortable.
- 我 尽量 在 这个 星期天 以前 完成 这个 项目 。 I will do my best to complete the project by this Sunday.
- 我们 要 尽量 满足 客户 的 需求 。 We have to try our best to meet the client's needs.
- 老板 生气 了 ， 你 和 他 说话 要 尽量 委婉 点 。 The boss is angry. Be as tactful as possible with him.
- 这 个 项目 预算 很 紧张 ， 我们 要 控制 成本 ， 尽量 不 要 超出 预算。 The budget for this project is very tight, so we have to control the cost and try not to exceed the budget.
A Note on Pronunciation
You may hear the word 尽量 pronounced as both "jǐnliàng" and "jìnliàng." Although "jǐnliàng" is technically correct and "jìnliàng" is supposed to be a verb (not an adverb like the word above), many educated native speakers will pronounce 尽量 exclusively as "jìnliàng."
Sources and further reading
Books
- Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 212) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 308) [ →buy]
Dictionaries
- 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 709) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
Websites
- ChinesePod Jinliang
