活
live; active; work; truly
Meanings
8 senses · 27 examplesverb
to live; to be alive
Used to describe organisms that maintain life, opposite of 死 (dead).
My grandpa is 80 this year and is still healthy and alive.
Live to old age, learn to old age.
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Can this fish survive out of water?
After the surgery, he finally escaped danger and survived.
Wild animals can only live well in their natural habitats.
verb
to catch alive
formalMost commonly used in the fixed phrase 活捉 (to capture alive).
The police captured the fleeing suspect alive.
The fishermen caught an injured sea turtle alive.
verb
to support oneself; to save a life
Can refer to providing for one's family or saving someone's life.
He supports his family by running a restaurant.
The doctor saved the critically ill elderly man's life.
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Thanks to the firefighters, our entire family survived.
adjective
active; flexible; movable
Describes objects that can move or systems that are not rigid.
This is running water, it won't go bad.
This slip knot is easy to untie.
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The loose pages of the magazine can be taken out individually.
The jacks on this socket are adjustable and can be repositioned.
adjective
lively; vivid; vividly
Describes performances, descriptions, or atmospheres that are full of energy.
This child is very lively, everyone likes him.
The character descriptions in this novel are very vivid.
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The classroom atmosphere is very lively, and students actively speak up.
adverb
truly; exactly; just like
informalUsed to emphasize that something looks or behaves exactly like another thing.
This child talks exactly like a little adult.
His portrayal of Zhuge Liang perfectly matches the image in the original novel.
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That rain was pouring down like a bucket being tipped over.
noun
work; job (manual labor)
informalOften used with the diminutive suffix 儿 in colloquial speech.
He did a full day of heavy manual labor and is exhausted.
Mom does sewing work at home.
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Farmers are doing farm work in the fields.
I helped my dad do some repair work on the weekend.
noun
product; finished goods
informalAlso used with the diminutive suffix 儿 in daily speech.
This factory produced 500 finished products today.
This box is fitted with brass hardware.
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This batch of products is made with very good quality.