jìnéng: 技能 - Skill, Ability

• Keywords: jineng, 技能, Chinese for skill, Chinese word for ability, technical skill Chinese, job skills in Chinese, professional skills, HSK 4 vocabulary, what is jineng, jineng vs nengli
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 技能 (jìnéng), the essential Chinese word for a specific, learned “skill” or “ability.” This page breaks down its characters, cultural importance in modern China's job market, and practical usage. Learn the crucial difference between 技能 (jìnéng), a tangible skill like coding or cooking, and 能力 (nénglì), a more general capability like leadership. With over 10 example sentences, you'll master how to talk about your professional and personal skills in authentic Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jìnéng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A specific, learned technical or practical skill.
• In a Nutshell: 技能 (jìnéng) isn't just any talent; it's a “hard skill.” Think of the skills you would list on a résumé or learn in a vocational course—things like programming, graphic design, welding, or speaking a foreign language. It's a concrete capability acquired through study and practice, rather than an innate or abstract quality.

• 技 (jì): This character means “skill,” “technique,” or “craft.” Its left-side radical is 扌 (shǒu), a form of the character for “hand” (手). This strongly suggests a skill that is performed, a craft done with one's hands, or a technical know-how.
• 能 (néng): This character means “can,” “to be able,” or “ability/energy.” It represents an inherent capacity or power to do something.
• When combined, 技能 (jìnéng) literally translates to “technical ability.” It marries the idea of a specific technique (技) with the power to execute it (能), creating a word that perfectly describes a demonstrable, practical skill.

Historically, imperial China's social hierarchy often placed scholars and officials at the top, while artisans and technicians with practical skills (技) were ranked lower. However, in modern China, this has been completely inverted. Following economic reforms, 技能 (jìnéng) has become a cornerstone of personal and national success. The government heavily promotes vocational training (职业技能培训) to fuel its manufacturing and tech industries. For individuals, acquiring a valuable 技能 is seen as the most reliable path to a good job, financial security, and upward social mobility. A useful comparison for Western learners is the concept of “hard skills” vs. “soft skills.” 技能 (jìnéng) almost exclusively refers to “hard skills”—the measurable, technical abilities you need for a specific job. A broader concept like “leadership” or “communication” is better described by the word 能力 (nénglì). Therefore, while an American might say they have “leadership skills,” a Chinese speaker would say they have strong “leadership ability” (领导能力, lǐngdǎo nénglì), not “leadership skills” (领导技能, lǐngdǎo jìnéng). This focus on concrete, provable skills is a key feature of the modern Chinese professional mindset.

技能 (jìnéng) is a high-frequency word in professional, educational, and even casual contexts.

• In the Workplace: This is its most common environment. Résumés (简历) have a dedicated section for 专业技能 (zhuānyè jìnéng) - “professional skills.” Job descriptions list required skills.
• In Education: People talk about going to training centers (培训中心) to learn a new skill (学一个新技能).
• In Gaming: In video games and online RPGs, 技能 (jìnéng) is the standard term for a character's “skill” or special “ability” that they can activate.
• In Hobbies: When you pick up a new hobby like baking or coding, you are acquiring a new 技能.

The term is neutral and formal enough for business, but also common in everyday conversation.

• Example 1:
  • 为了找到更好的工作，我需要学习一些新技能。
  • Pinyin: Wèile zhǎodào gèng hǎo de gōngzuò, wǒ xūyào xuéxí yīxiē xīn jìnéng.
  • English: In order to find a better job, I need to learn some new skills.
  • Analysis: A very common and practical sentence. It shows the direct link between acquiring 技能 and improving one's career prospects.
• Example 2:
  • 你的简历上写了你有什么技能吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de jiǎnlì shàng xiěle nǐ yǒu shéme jìnéng ma?
  • English: Did you write what skills you have on your résumé?
  • Analysis: This directly refers to the “skills” section of a CV, highlighting its professional context.
• Example 3:
  • 电脑编程是一项非常有用的技能。
  • Pinyin: Diànnǎo biānchéng shì yī xiàng fēicháng yǒuyòng de jìnéng.
  • English: Computer programming is a very useful skill.
  • Analysis: Note the use of the measure word 项 (xiàng) for skills. This is a very common and proper way to quantify a skill.
• Example 4:
  • 他掌握了很多技能，比如开车、做饭和修电脑。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhǎngwòle hěnduō jìnéng, bǐrú kāichē, zuòfàn hé xiū diànnǎo.
  • English: He has mastered many skills, such as driving, cooking, and repairing computers.
  • Analysis: This example shows the concrete, practical nature of 技能. The verb 掌握 (zhǎngwò), “to master,” is frequently used with 技能.
• Example 5:
  • 这个游戏角色的新技能非常强大。
  • Pinyin: Zhège yóuxì juésè de xīn jìnéng fēicháng qiángdà.
  • English: This game character's new skill is very powerful.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the usage of 技能 in the context of gaming, where it means a character's special move or ability.
• Example 6:
  • 公司会提供专业的技能培训。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī huì tígōng zhuānyè de jìnéng péixùn.
  • English: The company will provide professional skills training.
  • Analysis: Shows how 技能 is used in a corporate training context. 技能培训 (jìnéng péixùn) is a set phrase for “skill training.”
• Example 7:
  • 在现代社会，没有一技之长是很难生存的。
  • Pinyin: Zài xiàndài shèhuì, méiyǒu yī jì zhī cháng shì hěn nán shēngcún de.
  • English: In modern society, it's difficult to get by without a specialized skill.
  • Analysis: This uses a related idiom, 一技之长 (yī jì zhī cháng), literally “a skill's strong point.” It means having at least one solid, marketable skill. It's built from the same character, 技 (jì).
• Example 8:
  • 她的沟通能力很强，但技术技能比较弱。
  • Pinyin: Tā de gōutōng nénglì hěn qiáng, dàn jìshù jìnéng bǐjiào ruò.
  • English: Her communication ability is very strong, but her technical skills are relatively weak.
  • Analysis: A perfect example showing the contrast between the broad, abstract 能力 (nénglì) and the concrete, technical 技能 (jìnéng).
• Example 9:
  • 我们需要提高员工的职业技能水平。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào tígāo yuángōng de zhíyè jìnéng shuǐpíng.
  • English: We need to improve the level of our employees' professional skills.
  • Analysis: 职业技能 (zhíyè jìnéng) means “vocational/professional skills.” 提高…水平 (tígāo…shuǐpíng) means “to raise the level of…” This is common business and HR terminology.
• Example 10:
  • 会说外语现在被认为是一项重要的求职技能。
  • Pinyin: Huì shuō wàiyǔ xiànzài bèi rènwéi shì yī xiàng zhòngyào de qiúzhí jìnéng.
  • English: Being able to speak a foreign language is now considered an important job-seeking skill.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 求职技能 (qiúzhí jìnéng), “job-seeking skills,” another specific and useful compound word.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 技能 (jìnéng) with 能力 (nénglì). They can both be translated as “ability” or “skill,” but their usage is distinct.

• 技能 (jìnéng) - A Hard Skill: This is a specific, demonstrable, and often technical skill that you learn.
  • Correct: 驾驶技能 (jiàshǐ jìnéng) - Driving skill
  • Correct: 编程技能 (biānchéng jìnéng) - Programming skill
  • Incorrect: `领导技能` (lǐngdǎo jìnéng) - This is unnatural.
• 能力 (nénglì) - A General Capability: This is a broader, more inherent, and often abstract ability or competence. It's the “power” to do something well.
  • Correct: 领导能力 (lǐngdǎo nénglì) - Leadership ability
  • Correct: 学习能力 (xuéxí nénglì) - Learning ability
  • Incorrect: `驾驶能力` (jiàshǐ nénglì) - While not strictly wrong, it sounds odd. It implies the “innate ability to drive” rather than the learned skill itself. 技能 is much better here.

Rule of Thumb: If it's a “hard skill” you'd list on a résumé (typing, software, a language), use 技能. If it's a “soft skill” or a more fundamental capacity (leading, analyzing, learning), use 能力.

• 能力 (nénglì) - A general ability or capability, often more abstract or innate than `技能`.
• 本事 (běnshi) - A colloquial term for a real, impressive skill that gets results; it often implies resourcefulness.
• 技术 (jìshù) - Technology; technique. This is the underlying knowledge or method that forms a `技能`.
• 手艺 (shǒuyì) - Craftsmanship; workmanship. A specific type of `技能` related to making things with one's hands.
• 才华 (cáihuà) - Artistic or literary talent; flair. More about innate gifts than learned skills.
• 专业 (zhuānyè) - A field of study or profession. Your `专业` is what gives you your `专业技能`.
• 掌握 (zhǎngwò) - To master; to grasp. The verb most commonly used to indicate proficiency in a `技能`.
• 培训 (péixùn) - Training; to train. The process through which one acquires a `技能`.
• 一技之长 (yī jì zhī cháng) - An idiom meaning “to have a professional skill” or “a marketable skill.”