Chinese word

活泼

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuó pō

Meaning

  • adjectivelively

Example

他很活泼，喜欢和大家聊天。tā hěn huó pō xǐ huān hé dà jiā liáo tiān

He is very lively and likes chatting with everyone.

Illustration for 活泼 (lively)

More examples

晚会的节目很活泼，观众反应热烈。wǎn huì de jié mù hěn huó pō guān zhòng fǎn yìng rè liè

The party program was very lively, and the audience responded enthusiastically.

Core concept

Living energy that appears in a bright personality, expressive actions, and animated speech.

Common phrases

  • 活泼的孩子huó pō de hái zi

    lively child

  • 活泼的性格huó pō de xìng gé

    lively personality

  • 活泼开朗huó pō kāi lǎng

    lively and cheerful

Similar words

活跃huó yuè: Energetically involved in activities or groups, which are busy and thriving.
开朗kāi lǎng: Cheerful, bright, and relaxed in personality and manner.
外向wài xiàng: Social and outgoing, enjoying contact and conversation with other people.
生动shēng dòng: Richly expressive and lifelike, so an image or description is easy to picture.

Definition in Chinese

用来形容人或动物性格开朗、动作或言谈生动、有朝气。yòng lái xíng róng rén huò dòng wù xìng gé kāi lǎng dòng zuò huò yán tán shēng dòng yǒu zhāo qì

Word origin

The compound 活 (huó, "alive") + 泼 (pō, "to splash") suggests life bursting into active motion, which developed into the sense of being lively and spirited.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this adjective can describe a child's manner, a friend's gestures, or a speaker's delivery, so it is not limited to a person's long-term character.

Other meanings

  • cheerfuladjective
  • vividadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word