HSK Level 3

生动

shēng dòng

lively; vivid

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Example Sentences

这幅画很生动。

zhè fú huà hěn shēnɡ dònɡ .

This is a vivid picture.

这篇文章写得生动活泼。

zhè piān wén zhānɡ xiě dé shēnɡ dònɡ huó pō .

This article is written in a lively manner.

他脸上的表情很生动。

tā liǎn shànɡ de biǎo qínɡ hěn shēnɡ dònɡ .

The expression on his face was vivid.

Synonyms

鲜明 (xiān míng)

vivid

活泼 (huó pō)

lively

Antonyms

抽象 (chōuxiàng)

abstract

模糊 (móhu)

vague

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 生 (shēng) means "to be born, to come into existence, to grow, to live". It is composed of two parts: the radical 艸 (cǎo), which means "grass", and the phonetic component 生 (shēng), which means "to give birth". The character 动 (dòng) means "to move, to shake, to act". It is composed of two parts: the radical 力 (lì), which means "strength", and the phonetic component 动 (dòng), which means "to move". The word 生动 (shēngdòng) is a compound of these two characters, and it means "lively, vivid, animated". It is often used to describe something that is full of life and energy, or something that is very interesting and engaging.