珍惜

• Pinyin: zhēn xī
• Hanzi breakdown: 珍 = precious/treasure; 惜 = to cherish/pity

Meaning

To cherish; to treasure; to value. To appreciate and care for something important.

Used for things worth preserving: time, relationships, opportunities, health. Common phrases: 珍惜时间 (cherish time), 珍惜机会 (value opportunities), 珍惜生命 (treasure life). Often used in advice or reflections.

Examples

1. 我们应该珍惜和家人在一起的时光。 We should cherish the time spent with family.
2. 年轻人要珍惜学习的机会。 Young people should value their learning opportunities.
3. 失去之后才知道珍惜往往已经太晚了。 Realizing you should have cherished something only after losing it is often too late.

Usage Guide

Context: advice, relationships, life wisdom

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 请珍惜这次机会。(Please cherish this opportunity.)
• 我很珍惜我们的友谊。(I treasure our friendship.)

Don't Say

• 珍惜这本书 (珍惜 is for intangible or irreplaceable things — for a book, use 爱护 or 保管好)

Origin & History

Compound of 珍 (precious, treasure) and 惜 (to cherish, pity). To treat as precious.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal