noun / verb HSK 3
Traditional 活動
huó dòng
activity · event · to exercise · to move about · flexible

Meaning

活动 is a versatile word meaning both 'activity' or 'event' as a noun, and 'to move around' or 'to exercise' as a verb. It can refer to organized events, physical movement, or the flexibility of joints and body parts.

Usage

Very common in daily speech and formal contexts. As a noun, it's used for social events, school activities, marketing campaigns, and physical exercise. As a verb/adjective, it describes movement or flexibility (e.g., joints feeling stiff or loose). Often appears in compound words like 活动中心 (activity center) or 课外活动 (extracurricular activities).

Examples

  1. 01
    学校这周末有很多活动
    Xuéxiào zhè zhōumò yǒu hěn duō huódòng.
    The school has many activities this weekend.
  2. 02
    我每天早上都要活动一下身体。
    měi tiān zǎoshang dōu yào huódòng yīxià shēntǐ.
    I exercise my body a bit every morning.

Characters

Measure words

  • 一个活动
  • 参加了三次活动
  • xiàng两项活动

Common collocations

  • 课外活动
    wài huó dòng
    extracurricular activities
  • 活动中心
    huó dòng zhōng xīn
    activity center
  • 组织活动
    zhī huó dòng
    to organize an activity
  • 活动身体
    huó dòng shēn
    to exercise/stretch one's body

Antonyms

Origin

Combines 活 (alive/flexible) and 动 (to move), literally meaning 'living movement' or 'flexible motion,' which extends to both physical activity and organized events.

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