Chinese Dictionary

Usage of the character 活

to live
alive
living
work
workmanship

to harvest (an organ) from a living person

to apply (knowledge etc) creatively and flexibly
to use a word flexibly (e.g. a noun as an adjective)

specialty
unique skill

to live one's life
to make a living

living person

living animals

odd jobs

to survive

trapdoor

lively
vivacious
brisk
active
(chemistry) reactive

activation

flexible
nimble
agile

to come to life (by magic)

(banking) current (account)
checking (account)
demand (deposit etc)

bitter work
sweated labor

movable type

to exercise
to move about
to operate
to use connections (personal influence)
loose
shaky
active
movable
activity
campaign
maneuver
behavior
CL:項／项 (xiàng),個／个 (gè)

Notopterygium root (root of Notopterygium incisum)

manipulation (e.g. ball handling in sport)
hand job

(chemistry) activity
active
activated

life or death
fate
no matter what
anyway
for the life of me

piston
valve

living body
live specimen

to waste one's life; to fail to make the most of one's life

alive

noose
running knot

to live (one's life) well
(slang) to be good in bed

to survive

to capture alive

fresh fish
living fish

unskilled labor
heavy manual work

LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability)

Living Buddha
title of Mongolian Lamas from 17th century

zombie

activity

(Beijing dialect) done; finished; complete

demand deposit (abbr. for 活期存款 (huóqīcúnkuǎn))

happy
cheerful

trick
deception

to survive (a serious accident)
survival

farm work

labor
physical work

work
(lots of) things to do

a slip-knot
a noose

to enliven
to invigorate
to revitalize

to work for a living (esp. of woman needleworker)
life of a group of stones in Go 圍棋／围棋 (wéiqí)

valve

see 活像 (huóxiàng)

to revive
(lit. and fig.) to come back to life
(religion) resurrection

active
lively
excited
to enliven
to brighten up

sb who witnesses a crime and is not killed by the perpetrator
a captive who can provide information

through road
way out
way to survive
means of subsistence

heavy work

spirited atmosphere

to improve blood circulation (Chinese medicine)

farm work

nimble

job paid according to the amount of work done
contract work

(of an actor) to bring (one's character) to life
to act brilliantly

(coll.) serve sb right
deservedly
ought
should

flexible
adaptable

to look exactly like
to be the spitting image of

life
to survive
to save a life
to scrape a living

to finish a job on time
to produce the goods

buffoon
clown
ridiculous person

biopsy
abbr. for 活體組織檢查／活体组织检查 (huótǐzǔzhījiǎnchá)

(northern dialect) to pick up a fare (as a taxi driver)
to pick up a piece of work (as a courier)

to take on a piece of work
to pick up some freelance work
(of a taxi driver) to pick up a fare

typography
movable type

energy
vitality
vigor
vital force

to be really busy
pressing business

bitter sufferings; great hardships

valve

to provide for
to keep (animals, a family etc)
to raise animals
to feed and clothe
support
the necessities of life
to give birth

remarkably alike

to revitalize (assets, resources etc)

flaming fire
flames

to work; to be employed

to bury alive

to activate

to bring back to life

while still alive
simply
totally

vivid; lively
(of food ingredients) live or fresh

live poultry

to live
life
livelihood

nimble
agile
convenient

to work as amateur for no pay

oral sex

handicraft
needlework
work

to save life
to rescue
the whole business with all its processes

remarkably alike

huóshēngshēng

real (people)
living (artist)
while still alive (e.g. skinned alive)

repechage (supplementary qualifying round in sports)

flexibility

shēnghuóguǎn

living museum

prefabricated building
prefab

live target
target (of criticism etc)

activist

(med.) survival rate
(med.) recovery rate

slow living

to stay at home while one's husband is away
grass widow

erhua variant of 做活 (zuòhuó)

night life

erhua variant of 苦活 (kǔhuó)

to survive
to keep on living

huó Léi Fēng

selfless model citizen, just like Lei Feng 雷鋒／雷锋 ( Léi Fēng)

erhua variant of 幹活／干活 (gànhuó)

political street theater (loanword from Zhivaya Gazeta, or Living Newspaper, Russian theater form of the 1920s)

living fossil

to capture alive a criminal (or enemy etc) for interrogation
(of a perpetrator) to let a witness live

(neologism c. 2006) if you live long enough, you'll see everything
Just incredible!

private life

Easter

energetic
vital

activated carbon

household chore

walking dictionary
well-informed person

(medicine) vital capacity

reagent (chemistry)

needlework
sewing

a living Buddha
fig. compassionate person
saint

xìngshēnghuó

sex life

cost of living
living expenses
alimony

(coll.) to go through sheer hell

survival rate
rate of success

a god living in our midst (sb who can predict the future like a prophet or who leads a life without constraints)

to eke out a living
to live from hand to mouth
to drift aimlessly

erhua variant of 重活 (zhònghuó)

what the hell; preposterous

active volcano

to work
to do manual labor

huódòngchǎngdì

place for activities (playground, event venue etc)

huǒshānhuódòng

volcanic activity
volcanism

zhēnxiànhuór

needlework
working for a living as a needleworker

huólónghuóxiàn

living spirit, living image (idiom); true to life
vivid and realistic

lèisǐlèihuó

to tire oneself out through overwork
to work oneself to death

shénqìhuóxiàn

arrogant appearance
smug appearance
to act condescending
to put on airs

wéichíshēnghuó

to subsist
to eke out a living
to keep body and soul together

zìyóuhuódòng

free time (between organized activities)

huódòngfángwū

prefabricated building
prefab
mobile home
caravan
trailer

huóxìngyǎnglèi

activated oxygen species (AOS)

regardless of life or death (idiom)

nóngshìhuódòng

agricultural activities

huóqīcúnkuǎn

demand deposit

half dead
more dead than alive

huólínghuóxiàn

living spirit, living image (idiom); true to life
vivid and realistic

shěnměihuódòng

appreciating the arts
esthetic activity

huódòngkànbǎn

calendar of events

shèhuìhuódòng

social activity

huósèshēngxiāng

(of a flower) vividly colorful and fragrant
(of a woman) captivating; charming
(of writing or a painting etc) lifelike; vivid

shēnghuówūshuǐ

domestic sewage

huóyuèfènzǐ

activist

huódòngguàtú

flipchart

huódòngqūchǐ

sliding bevel (to measure angles)

shēnghuóshuǐpíng

living standards

funds on call
invested sum that can be cashed

huóqīdàikuǎn

demand loan (i.e. loan that the borrower can demanded back at any time)

yǎngjiāhuókǒu

to support one's family (idiom)

lit. you die, I live (idiom); irreconcilable adversaries
two parties cannot coexist

shēnghuólājī

domestic garbage

huódòngzhōngxīn

activity center
CL:處／处 (chù)

zhēnxiànhuójì

needlework
sewing

shēnghuózīliào

consumer goods
means of livelihood
means of subsistence
documents relating to sb's life

jīngshénshēnghuó

spiritual or moral life

shēnghuózuòfēng

behavior
conduct

xiānhuóhuòwù

live cargo

to hover between life and death (idiom)
to suffer terribly
within an inch of one's life

huózìyìnshuā

printing with movable type

jīngjìhuódòng

economic activity

yàosǐyàohuó

terribly
awfully
desperately

shēnghuóměixué

appreciation of the finer things in life

shēnglónghuóhǔ

lit. lively dragon and animated tiger (idiom)
fig. vigorous and lively

jìngxuǎnhuódòng

(election) campaign

huótǐjiǎnshì

biopsy

huóhuàfēnxī

activation analysis

hǎohuódāngshǎng

(coll.) bravo
nice one
lovely

jìshēngshēnghuó

parasitism; parasitic existence

zhèngzhìshēnghuó

political life

shēnghuóshèshī

living facilities

zhuāngjiahuór

farm work

liàojiànzihuó

piecework

tiěchuāngshēnghuó

time served in prison
prison life

pīnsǐpīnhuó

one's utmost
(to fight or work) desperately hard
to put up a life or death struggle
at all costs

pǐnwèishēnghuó

to appreciate life

tàiyánghuódòng

sunspot activity
solar variation

huódòngzhuōmiàn

active desktop

huódòngrénshì

activist

pòhuàihuódòng

sabotage; subversive activities

dynamic
enthusiastic
energetic

shēnghuófāngshì

way of life
lifestyle

huóxuéhuóyòng

to creatively combine learning with usage
to learn and apply pragmatically

tǐyùhuódòng

sports
sporting activity

huóbǎnyìnshuā

printing with movable type
typesetting

huódòngbānshǒu

adjustable spanner

shēnglāhuóchě

to wildly exaggerate the meaning of sth (idiom)

huóbèngluàntiào

to leap and frisk about (idiom); lively
healthy and active

shēnghuózhìliào

consumer goods

rìhuóyònghù

daily active users (of a website, service etc)

shēngtūnhuóbō

to swallow whole (idiom); fig. to apply uncritically

jiàndiéhuódòng

espionage
spying

huóxuèzhǐtòng

to invigorate blood circulation and alleviate pain (idiom)

huóqīzhànghù

current account (in bank)

mìmìhuódòng

clandestine activities
covert operation

zhònghuóhuàjì

reactivator

gōngyìhuódòng

charity event
public service activities

Fùhuójié Dǎo

Easter Island

wénkānghuódòng

cultural and recreational activities (Tw)

huódòngnénglì

mobility
motility

impossible to make a living

cāngwàihuódòng

extravehicular activity (outside space vehicle)
EVA

to act recklessly (idiom)

dìzhènhuódòngdài

地震活动带

[地震活動帶]

seismic zone
earthquake belt

huódebùnàifán

活得不耐烦

[活得不耐煩]

to be tired of living
(coll.) to be asking for trouble

shēnghuóbìxūpǐn

生活必需品

[生活必需品]

life's necessities

fàngshèxìnghuódù

放射性活度

[放射性活度]

radioactivity

jiǎndúhuóyìmiáo

减毒活疫苗

[減毒活疫苗]

attenuated live vaccine

shēngwùhuóhuàxìng

生物活化性

[生物活化性]

bioactivity

zàihuóhuàjiǎshuō

再活化假说

[再活化假說]

reactivation hypothesis

huózǔzhījiǎnchá

活组织检查

[活組織檢查]

biopsy

Fùhuódejūntuán

复活的军团

[復活的軍團]

the Resurrected Army (CCTV documentary series about the Terracotta army)

biǎomiànhuóxìngjì

表面活性剂

[表面活性劑]

surfactant

biǎomiànhuóhuàjì

表面活化剂

[表面活化劑]

surfactant

huótǐzǔzhījiǎnchá

活体组织检查

[活體組織檢查]

biopsy
abbr. to 活檢／活检 (huójiǎn)

àidesǐqùhuólái

爱得死去活来

[愛得死去活來]

to be madly in love

huórénràngniàobiēsǐ

活人让尿憋死

[活人讓尿憋死]

lit. such a fool as to die from holding in one's pee (idiom)
fig. unable to solve a problem due to the inflexibility of one's thinking

sǐmǎdànghuómǎyī

死马当活马医

[死馬當活馬醫]

lit. to give medicine to a dead horse (idiom)
fig. to keep trying everything in a desperate situation

kūdesǐqùhuólái

哭得死去活来

[哭得死去活來]

to cry one's heart out

sǐyàomiànzihuóshòuzuì

死要面子活受罪

[死要面子活受罪]

to go through hell for the sake of keeping up appearances (idiom)

huódàolǎo,xuédàolǎo

活到老，学到老

[活到老，學到老]

One is never too old to learn. (idiom)

shùnuósǐ,rénnuóhuó

树挪死，人挪活

[樹挪死，人挪活]

lit. if moved to a new location, a tree will die, but a person will live (idiom)
fig. human beings, unlike trees, thrive on change

hǎosǐbùrúlàihuózhe

好死不如赖活着

[好死不如賴活著]

better a bad life than a good death (idiom)

fǎn Měishìgōngzuòfù Měishìshēnghuó

反美是工作赴美是生活

[反美是工作赴美是生活]

being anti-American is the job, but life is in America (jocular comment made about public figures who are brazenly xenophobic but whose family live abroad)

fànhòuyīzhīyān,sàiguòhuóshénxiān

饭后一支烟，赛过活神仙

[飯後一支煙，賽過活神仙]

have a smoke after each meal and you will surpass the immortals (proverb)

fànhòubǎibùzǒu,huódàojiǔshíjiǔ

饭后百步走，活到九十九

[飯後百步走，活到九十九]

walk a hundred steps after each meal and you will live a long life (proverb)