生动 (shēng dòng) — vivid, lively | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

生动 describes vivid, lifelike descriptions or performances (e.g. 语言、表演). Unlike 活泼, it applies to writing or speech, not people's personalities.

adjective

vividlively

Easily confused

生动。
Zhè ge biǎo yǎn hěn shēng dòng.
This performance is very vivid.
生动。
Lǎo shī shēng dòng dì miáo xiě le nà ge gù shi.
The teacher vividly described that story.
生动。
Tā de yǎn jiǎng fēi cháng shēng dòng.
His speech was very vivid.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

生 means life and 动 means motion, so 生动 joins vitality and movement to mean vivid.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

重力動

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

重

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Appears in