活 (huó) - to live & alive

活Tone 2

huó ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

慧佳

活 · huó

to live;

alive;

living;

lively;

flexible;

movable;

exactly;

really;

work;

job.

to livealiveliving

Usage highlights

lifeactivityalivelivelyworksurvival

Synonyms

  • 生— to be born; life; living
  • 存— to exist; to survive

Antonyms

  • 死— dead; death
  • 亡— to perish; to die

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is still alive (他还活着).
  • This is a lively discussion (活跃的讨论).
  • Drinking water is essential for life (活命需要饮水).
  • She works part-time (她做兼职工作).

Collocations

  • life(生活)
  • activity(活动)
  • alive(活着)
  • lively(活泼)
  • work(工作)
  • survival(存活)

Idioms

  • Live and work in peace and contentment(安居乐业)
  • Vivid and lifelike(活灵活现)
  • A living dictionary(活字典)
  • To earn a living(谋生活)
  • To bring to life(起死回生)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 活 embodies the concept of vitality and movement, contrasting with stillness or death.
  • In Buddhist context, it relates to the cycle of life and rebirth.
  • It is often used in positive contexts describing energy, flexibility, and survival.

FAQ