轻活 (qīng huó) — light work; easy job

Definition

轻活 (qīnghuó) is 'light work' — tasks that are easy on the body, paired naturally with the opposite 重活 ('heavy labor').

noun
light workeasy job
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 轻活。
    Tā tuì xiū hòu zhǎo le yí fèn qīng huó.
    He found a light job after retiring.
  • 轻活，。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò qīng huó, bú yào gān zhòng huó.
    The doctor advised her to do light work, not heavy labor.
  • ，轻活。
    Suī rán gōng zī bù gāo, dàn zhè fèn qīng huó hěn qīng sōng.
    Although the salary is not high, this light job is very easy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

轻qīnglight or easy
活huówork

轻 means light or easy, and 活 means work, giving the sense of a light job.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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 →

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