活

• Pinyin: huó
• Hanzi breakdown: 活 = 氵(water, 3 dots) + 舌 (tongue) — water as a source of life

Meaning

Alive; living; to live. As an adjective it means living or lively; as a verb it means to survive or remain alive.

Can describe living things (活鱼 — live fish), lively people (他很活泼 — he is lively), or survival (活下来 — to survive). Also extends to work contexts as a noun meaning 'work/chores' (干活 — to do work). Context clarifies the exact meaning.

Examples

1. 这条鱼还活着，快放回水里。 This fish is still alive — put it back in the water quickly.
2. 他活了九十岁，身体一直很好。 He lived to ninety and was always in good health.
3. 周末我要在家干活，没有时间出去。 At the weekend I need to do chores at home and have no time to go out.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, biology, work

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这棵树还活着。(This tree is still alive.)
• 我每天都要干很多活。(I have a lot of work to do every day.)

Don't Say

• 我活了今天很忙。(Don't use 活 as a connector — 活 does not mean 'be' or 'feel.' Say 我今天很忙 or 今天活儿很多.)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character: 氵(water) + 舌 (tongue, phonetic). The water radical suggests life-giving fluidity; the whole character evolved to mean 'alive/living.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal