进 (jìn) means "to enter / go in," and it's the mirror image of 出 (chū, "exit"). Its dictionary meaning is simple, but two things make it worth a full page. First, 进 almost always travels with a viewpoint marker 来 or 去 — 进来 "come in" vs 进去 "go in" — and choosing the wrong one is the classic learner slip. Second, 进 is one of the most productive directional complements in the language: bolt it onto a motion verb and you get 走进 "walk into," 跑进 "run into," 搬进 "move into," 放进 "put into." English fuses "in" onto verbs the same way ("walk *in*to"), so the logic will feel familiar — the word order is what's new.
Sense 1: enter (bare verb + place)
On its own, 进 takes a place and means "enter / go into" it. 进屋 "go inside," 进城 "go into town," 进门 "come through the door," and figuratively 进公司 "join a company," 进学校 "get into a school."
外面冷，快进屋吧。
wàimiàn lěng, kuài jìn wū ba
It's cold out — come inside.
他大学毕业后进了一家大公司。
tā dàxué bìyè hòu jìn le yì jiā dà gōngsī
After graduating he joined a big company. — 进公司 = join a firm.
Sense 2: 进来 / 进去 — enter with a viewpoint
This is the everyday form. 来 and 去 encode whose side the speaker is on, exactly like English "come in" vs "go in": 进来 = enter toward where the speaker is; 进去 = enter away from the speaker. If you're inside inviting someone, it's 进来; if you're outside sending someone ahead, it's 进去.
门开着，你直接进来吧。
mén kāi zhe, nǐ zhíjiē jìnlái ba
The door's open — just come on in. — speaker is inside: 进来.
你先进去，我停一下车。
nǐ xiān jìnqù, wǒ tíng yíxià chē
You go in first; I'll park the car. — speaker stays outside: 进去.
请进，请坐。
qǐng jìn, qǐng zuò
Come in, have a seat. — set phrase; the 来 is understood.
Sense 3: 进 as a directional complement
Attach 进 to a motion verb and it marks the direction of the result: 走进 "walk into," 跑进 "run into," 搬进 "move into," 吹进 "blow into." When there's a place-object, it sits between 进 and 来/去: 走进房间来 "walk into the room (toward me)." You can also drop 来/去 and just add 了: 走进了房间.
他慢慢走进教室，坐了下来。
tā mànmàn zǒujìn jiàoshì, zuò le xiàlái
He walked slowly into the classroom and sat down. — 走进 + place.
一阵风把树叶吹进了屋里。
yí zhèn fēng bǎ shùyè chuī jìn le wū lǐ
A gust of wind blew the leaves into the house. — 吹进 inside a 把 sentence.
帮我把这些书搬进书房。
bāng wǒ bǎ zhèxiē shū bān jìn shūfáng
Help me move these books into the study. — 搬进 + place.
Sense 4: figurative compounds — 进步, 进行, 考进
进 also anchors a set of abstract compounds: 进步 "make progress," 进行 "carry out / be underway," 进入 "enter (formal/abstract)," 前进 "advance," 进口 "import," and 考进 "test one's way into (a school)."
你的中文进步很快。
nǐ de Zhōngwén jìnbù hěn kuài
Your Chinese is improving fast. — 进步 = progress.
会议正在进行。
huìyì zhèngzài jìnxíng
The meeting is underway. — 进行 = be in progress.
他考进了北大。
tā kǎo jìn le Běidà
He tested his way into Peking University. — 考进 = get in by exam.
Key collocations
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 进来 | jìnlái | come in (toward speaker) |
| 进去 | jìnqù | go in (away from speaker) |
| 请进 | qǐng jìn | please come in |
| 走进 / 搬进 | zǒujìn / bānjìn | walk into / move into |
| 进公司 | jìn gōngsī | join a company |
| 进步 | jìnbù | make progress, improve |
| 进行 | jìnxíng | carry out; be underway |
Grammar notes
进 belongs to the family of simple directional verbs (进/出/上/下/回/过) that combine with 来/去 to show viewpoint — the mechanics are on simple directional 来/去, and the compound complements (走进来 and friends, with object placement) on directional compounds. The viewpoint logic is the same one that governs the plain verbs 来 (come) and 去 (go). 进 takes aspect normally: 进了 (entered), 进过 (have entered).
Common Mistakes
1. Picking the wrong viewpoint (进来 vs 进去). If you're inside welcoming someone, it's 进来, not 进去.
❌ 快进去吧！
Wrong viewpoint if you're the host inside — inviting someone toward you is 进来.
✅ 快进来吧！
kuài jìnlái ba
Come on in! — said by someone already inside.
2. Putting the place after 来/去. With a directional complement, the place goes between 进 and 来/去.
❌ 他走进来房间。
Wrong order — the place slots in the middle: 走进房间来 (or 走进了房间).
✅ 他走进房间来。
tā zǒujìn fángjiān lái
He walked into the room (toward me).
3. Using 进 for entering an event. You physically 进 a space; you 参加 an activity.
❌ 他想进这个比赛。
Wrong verb — you enter a *competition* with 参加, not 进 (which is for spaces).
✅ 他想参加这个比赛。
tā xiǎng cānjiā zhège bǐsài
He wants to enter this competition.
4. Using bare 进 for 'make progress'. "Progress" is the compound 进步 — 进 alone won't do it.
❌ 这学期我进了很多。
Incomplete — 'improve' is 进步, not bare 进: 我进步了很多.
✅ 这学期我进步了很多。
zhè xuéqī wǒ jìnbù le hěn duō
I've made a lot of progress this term.
Key Takeaways
- 进 = enter / go in (进屋, 进城), figuratively "join" (进公司) — the opposite of 出.
- Pair it with viewpoint 来/去: 进来 (toward the speaker) vs 进去 (away). Choose by where the speaker stands.
- As a directional complement (走进, 搬进, 吹进), the place-object sits between 进 and 来/去: 走进房间来.
- Abstract compounds: 进步 "progress," 进行 "underway," 进入 "enter (formal)," 考进 "get in by exam."
- 进 is for entering spaces; entering an event is 参加. "Progress" is 进步, never bare 进.
Now practice Chinese
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- 来 (lái) — to comeHSK 1 — 来 (lái) is 'come (toward the speaker)' — a full verb (他来了), a directional marker (进来, 拿来, 回来), a serial 'come / let me' (我来帮你), the diner's 'I'll have' (来一个), and 'bring about' (带来). It always points motion toward the here-and-now; 去 points away.
- 去 (qù) — to goHSK 1 — 去 (qù) is 'go, away from where the speaker is': the destination attaches directly (去北京, no 'to'), it frames purpose in serial verbs (去买东西), and it works as a directional complement (回去, 拿去) — the mirror image of 来 (lái).