谨慎

• Pinyin: jǐn shèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 谨 = 讠(speech) + 堇 — careful, respectful; 慎 = 忄(heart) + 真 — cautious, careful

Meaning

Cautious; prudent; careful. Acting with careful consideration to avoid mistakes or risks.

A positive trait emphasizing thoughtfulness and carefulness in decisions and actions. Common in professional, financial, and legal contexts. Can be used as both an adjective and an adverb. Similar to 小心 but more formal and implies deliberate, considered behavior.

Examples

1. 投资有风险，入市需谨慎。 Investment carries risks; entering the market requires caution.
2. 他做事一向谨慎，从不冒失行动。 He has always been cautious in his work and never acts rashly.
3. 在发表公开声明前，公司法务部门要求谨慎措辞。 Before issuing a public statement, the company's legal department required careful wording.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, decision-making

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 做决定要谨慎。(Be cautious when making decisions.)
• 谨慎起见，我们再核实一下。(To be on the safe side, let's verify again.)

Don't Say

• 你太谨慎了作为批评 (Saying someone is 太谨慎 as criticism sounds odd — 谨慎 is generally positive; use 过于保守 or 优柔寡断 to criticize excessive caution)

Origin & History

Composed of 谨 (respectful; careful) + 慎 (cautious; careful). Both characters carry the meaning of carefulness, reinforcing the concept.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal