积极 (jī jí) — active; energetic; proactive; positive (about t…

Definition

积极 describes a person's attitude, mindset, or actions — being proactive, enthusiastic, and upbeat. Unlike 主动, which only means taking the initiative in a single action, 积极 covers both attitude and behavior over time.

adjective

activeenergeticproactivepositive (about the future, outlook)

Examples

积极，。
Tā gōng zuò hěn jī jí, měi tiān dōu dì yī gè dào gōng sī.
He works very actively and is the first to arrive at the company every day.
积极，。
Tā duì shēng huó hěn jī jí, zǒng shì hěn kāi xīn.
She is very positive about life and is always very happy.
积极，。
Dà jiā jī jí dì tǎo lùn wèn tí, tí chū le hěn duō hǎo bàn fǎ.
Everyone actively discussed the problem and came up with many good solutions.

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.

积jīaccumulate

极jíextreme

The sense of 积 as gathering and 极 as reaching the utmost together describe an energetic, forward-looking attitude.

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 積; 积 is its simplified writing.

禾責積

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hé

Sound part声符shēngfú

責

責zé積jī

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 積 pairs 禾 (grain) with 責, which gives the sound; the simplified 积 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 积 →

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

木及极

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree, wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

及

及jí极jí

Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →

Appears in