jìn

go forward

represents the meaning and depicts a bird, which is unable to walk backwards.

Components
辶 meaning component

  Meaning component

chuò

  

walk

is a component form of .

隹 iconic component

  Iconic component

zhuī

  

bird

Used here because birds are not able to walk backwards.

Evolution

進 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
進 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
進 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
進 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
進 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

jìn

advance, make progress, enter; to go forward; to advance; to go in; to enter; to put in; to submit; to take in; to admit; (math.) base of a number system; classifier for sections in a building or residential compound

Most common words with 進
Freq.
Word
Meaning

进行

to advance

to advance

进入

to enter

进来

to come in

进去

to go in