今 (jīn) Chinese Character: now; today; current

Chinese character story: Bring Your Attention to Today

今 (jīn) points to the time that is closest to you: now. Imagine a calendar with one square gently highlighted. You do not need yesterday or tomorrow; your attention is on the current square. This is a learning scene, not a claim about the ancient drawing. In everyday Chinese, 今 rarely stands alone in conversation. It joins another time character: 今天 means “today,” 今年 means “this year,” and 今晚 means “tonight.” Notice the useful pattern: 今 + time word creates a time expression connected with the present. Say jīn with a steady first tone. When you read a sentence, look for 今 near the beginning because Chinese time expressions often come before the main action.

Chinese character origin and etymology

Ancient forms of 今 are connected with the idea of the present moment. Their exact historical structure is useful for specialist study, but it does not give beginners a clear modern picture. Learn 今 as one complete shape and connect it with its stable meaning, “the present,” which extends naturally to today, this year, and tonight.

今 is a compact four-stroke character. The top closes over the lower turning stroke, so learners should keep the shape narrow and centered. 今 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

今 is written with 4 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

• 今 — Learn the complete shape. Use its word family: 今天 means today, 今年 means this year, and 今晚 means tonight.

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 今 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

Learning tips for 今

Learn the reading as one unit: jīn, with the first tone: high and level. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “now; today; current,” and write the 4 strokes from memory.

Because 今 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 日 (rì, day; sun); 年 (nián, year); 晚 (wǎn, evening; late). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

• Can you recognize 今 without pinyin?
• Can you say jīn with the correct tone and explain “now; today; current”?
• Can you write all 4 strokes in order?
• Can you use 今 in one short sentence?

Related characters

• 日 (rì) — day; sun
• 年 (nián) — year
• 晚 (wǎn) — evening; late

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.