Learn 本事 vs 本领 vs jineng in Chinese (China, Simplified). Build fluency with personalized exercises, chats, and video recommendations.
These are all about “ability/skill,” but they differ in tone and usage:
本事 (běnshi): ability/competence; often about being capable in real situations, and it can sound a bit challenging or emphatic in speech (e.g., “If you’ve got the ability, then…”). It can be positive or confrontational depending on context.本领 (běnlǐng): capability/aptitude; more neutral and often used for someone’s practical strengths or what they’re good at (a “capability” you have).技能 (jìnéng) (what you wrote as “jineng”): a (usually learned) skill/technique, often concrete and trainable, and common in education/work contexts (e.g., job skills).Example uses (no translations):
他很有本事。她有很强的本领。这个工作需要专业技能。Related Topics: Ability and Skills, Work and Jobs, Chinese Synonyms