加紧

• Pinyin: jiā jǐn
• Hanzi breakdown: 加 = 力 + 口 (strength + mouth — add force); 紧 = 臣 + 又 + 糸 (minister + hand + thread — pulling threads tightly)

Meaning

To intensify; to speed up; to step up (efforts, pace, or a process). Used to convey urgency or the need to redouble efforts on a task.

Commonly used in administrative, military, and work contexts when a deadline is approaching or when progress must be accelerated. Often paired with production, training, preparation, or negotiations.

Examples

1. 由于工期延误，施工方已加紧安排工人连夜赶工，争取按期完成任务。 Because the schedule fell behind, the contractor has tightened arrangements and had workers work overnight to try to finish on time.
2. 面对日益严峻的市场竞争，公司决定加紧研发新产品，以保持行业领先地位。 Facing increasingly intense market competition, the company decided to step up R&D on new products to maintain its industry-leading position.
3. 双方谈判代表在最后期限临近之际加紧磋商，力争在截止日期前达成协议。 With the final deadline approaching, the two sides' negotiators stepped up consultations, striving to reach an agreement before the cutoff date.

Usage Guide

Context: work, business, administration

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 在抗灾救援的紧要关头，相关部门必须加紧协调各方资源，确保物资和人员能够在最短时间内抵达受灾最严重的地区。(At the critical juncture of disaster relief, relevant authorities must intensify the coordination of resources from all sides to ensure that supplies and personnel can reach the hardest-hit areas in the shortest possible time.)
• 为迎接即将到来的国际评估，学院已加紧完善各项教学档案与质量管理体系，以确保评审工作顺利进行。(In preparation for the upcoming international assessment, the college has stepped up its efforts to improve teaching archives and quality management systems to ensure the evaluation proceeds smoothly.)

Don't Say

• 加紧 vs 加快 — 加紧 implies intensifying effort and focus, not just speed; 加快 specifically refers to increasing speed or pace. Use 加快步伐 for pace, 加紧准备 for intensified effort

Origin & History

加 (to add; to increase) + 紧 (tight; tense; urgent)

Cultural Context

Generation: Working age

Social background: Universal