Chinese word

积极

Pronunciation

Pinyinjī jí

Meaning

  • adjectivepositive

Example

他对工作很积极。tā duì gōng zuò hěn jī jí

He is very positive about his work.

Illustration for 积极 (positive)

More examples

学生们对课外活动很积极。xué shēng men duì kè wài huó dòng hěn jī jí

The students are very active in extracurricular activities.

Core concept

An attitude that moves toward a task with energy, initiative, and a constructive outlook.

Common phrases

  • 积极态度jī jí tài dù

    positive attitude

  • 积极参加活动jī jí cān jiā huó dòng

    take an active part in activities

  • 积极学习jī jí xué xí

    study eagerly

Similar words

主动zhǔ dòng: Taking initiative and acting without waiting for others to ask.
认真rèn zhēn: Focused and careful, with close attention to details.
努力nǔ lì: Putting in strong effort to reach a goal.
热情rè qíng: Warmly and eagerly engaging with people or activities, with genuine enthusiasm.

Definition in Chinese

形容对事情持正面、主动投入的态度，既包含主动性也包含热情与努力。xíng róng duì shì qíng chí zhèng miàn zhǔ dòng tóu rù de tài dù jì bāo hán zhǔ dòng xìng yě bāo hán rè qíng yǔ nǔ lì

Word origin

The modern sense of 积极 (jījí, "positive; active") is a semantic development associated with modern Japanese usage, moving from an older idea of reaching an extreme to active involvement.

Usage tips

  • Descriptions of children are clearest when this word is linked to a task or behavior, because it evaluates how they take part rather than declaring that their whole personality has one fixed quality.

Other meanings

  • activeadjective
  • enthusiasticadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word