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激活 (jī huó) — to activate

Definition

激活 (jīhuó) means 'to activate' — usually an account, card, or system that needs to be enabled before use. Closer to 启动 (starting a device) than to 激发 (stirring emotions) or 活跃 (being lively).

verb
to activate

Examples

  • 激活。
    Qǐng xiān jī huó nǐ de shǒu jī.
    Please activate your phone first.
  • 激活。
    Zhè ge zhàng hào xū yào jī huó cái néng dēng lù.
    This account needs to be activated before you can log in.
  • 激活？
    Nǐ jī huó le xīn de huì yuán kǎ ma?
    Did you activate the new membership card?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

激jīstimulate
活huóalive

激 means stimulate and 活 means alive, together giving make active.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo激jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Open 激 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Technology & Engineering

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