积极向上 (jī jí xiàng shǎng) — positive and striving; upbeat and progressive

Definition

A fixed expression describing a positive, driven attitude toward life or work. It pairs with nouns like 心态 ('mindset'), 精神 ('spirit'), or 企业文化 ('corporate culture').

verb
positive and strivingupbeat and progressive

Examples

  • 积极向上，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù jī jí xiàng shǎng, cóng lái bù qīng yì fàng qì.
    He has been positive and striving since childhood, never giving up easily.
  • 积极向上。
    Gōng sī xū yào yì zhǒng jī jí xiàng shǎng de qǐ yè wén huà.
    The company needs a positive and upward corporate culture.
  • ，积极向上。
    Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men yào bǎo chí jī jí xiàng shǎng de xīn tài.
    In the face of difficulties, we must maintain a positive and upward mindset.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

积极positive
积jīaccumulate极jíutmost
联合Side by side
向上upward
向xiàngtoward上shàngup
偏正Modifier + head

积极 means positive and 向上 means striving upward, together describing an upbeat 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.

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.

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 →

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

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

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