‘使劲’ is a verb meaning 'to exert effort' or 'to strain oneself physically (or sometimes mentally) to accomplish something.' The first character, 使 (shǐ), means 'to use' or 'to employ,' and the second, 劲 (jìn), means 'strength,' 'force,' or 'energy.' Together, they literally convey 'using strength'—a vivid, colloquial expression for putting real physical effort into an action. It’s commonly used in everyday spoken Mandarin, especially when describing actions requiring muscle power: pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, or even speaking loudly.

The word often appears with objects (e.g., 使劲推, 'push hard') or as a predicate with degree adverbs like 很 or 狠狠地 ('hard' or 'forcefully'). Unlike formal synonyms like 尽力 (jìn lì, 'to do one’s best'), 使劲 carries a concrete, bodily sense of effort and is rarely used in abstract or written contexts like official documents. It’s neutral in register but sounds more natural in informal speech than in formal writing.