The kanji 勤 primarily conveys the idea of "diligence," "to work hard," "to serve," or "to be employed." It suggests putting in effort, performing duties, and carrying out responsibilities with dedication and commitment. This character emphasizes the active pursuit of a task or goal.

・On-yomi (音読み): キン (kin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つと（める） (tsuto(meru)), つと（まる） (tsuto(maru))

⚫︎ 会社に勤める Translation: To work for a company. ⚫︎ 勤勉な学生 Translation: A diligent student. ⚫︎ 出勤する Translation: To go to work; to be at work.

The kanji 勤 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The semantic component is 力 (chikara), meaning "power" or "strength," and the phonetic component is 堇 (kin), which is a phonetic component, and has been simplified from an older form that looks like 菫. The combination suggests applying one's strength and effort to a task. It visually represents the idea of exertion and diligence in work or service.