紧凑

• Pinyin: jǐn còu
• Hanzi breakdown: 紧 = 臤 + 糸 — tight, tense; 凑 = 冫+ 奏 — to gather, to bring together

Meaning

Compact; tightly structured; fast-paced. Describing something well-organized with no wasted space or time.

Used for physical objects (compact design), schedules (tight/busy), narratives (well-paced), and more. Carries a positive connotation of efficiency and good design. Common in describing urban planning, product design, writing style, and schedules.

Examples

1. 这款车型设计紧凑，非常适合城市通勤。 This car model has a compact design, making it very suitable for city commuting.
2. 这部电影节奏紧凑，两个小时一点都不觉得无聊。 This movie has a tight pace — two hours didn't feel boring at all.
3. 他明天的行程安排得很紧凑，几乎没有休息时间。 His schedule tomorrow is very tight, with almost no time for rest.

Usage Guide

Context: design, scheduling, narrative, urban planning

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这篇文章结构很紧凑。(This article has a compact structure.)
• 行程太紧凑了。(The schedule is too tight.)

Don't Say

• 用'紧凑'形容人的身材 (Don't use 紧凑 to describe a person's body type — use 紧实 or 结实 instead; 紧凑 is for objects and schedules)

Origin & History

Composed of 紧 (tight; tense) + 凑 (to gather; to collect). Together describing something tightly arranged or compact.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal