Chinese word

鲜活

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiān huó

Meaning

  • adjectivefresh

Example

我们吃了鲜活的海鲜。wǒ men chī le xiān huó de hǎi xiān

We ate fresh seafood.

Illustration for 鲜活 (fresh)

More examples

为了节目效果，导演希望演员的表演保持鲜活。wèi le jié mù xiào guǒ dáo yǎn xī wàng yǎn yuán de biáo yǎn bǎo chí xiān huó

To make the show more effective, the director hoped the actors would keep their performance lively.

Core concept

A quality that makes a person, expression, or food seem newly alive and full of energy.

Common phrases

  • 鲜活的语言xiān huó de yǔ yán

    vivid language

  • 保持鲜活的状态bǎo chí xiān huó de zhuàng tài

    maintain a lively state

  • 鲜活的场景xiān huó de cháng jǐng

    vivid scenes

Similar words

生动shēng dòng: Vivid in a way that makes spoken or written descriptions feel clear and almost visible.
活泼huó pō: Bright, lively, and active in behavior, especially when engaging with other people.
生气勃勃shēng qì bó bó: Brimming with life, energy, and enthusiasm.

Definition in Chinese

形容事物或人充满生气、富有活力，也可用于强调食品鲜度，尤指看起来仍有活力的食材。xíng róng shì wù huò rén chōng mǎn shēng qì fù yǒu huó lì yě kě yòng yú qiáng diào shí pǐn xiān dù yóu zhǐ kàn qǐ lái réng yǒu huó lì de shí cái

Word origin

鲜 (xiān, "fresh") + 活 (huó, "alive") combines freshness with life, so the word extends from food to people and expressions with visible energy.

Usage tips

  • English lively usually fits a person, story, or performance better than fresh, so the best choice depends on whether the context highlights energy or food quality.

Other meanings

  • livelyadjective
  • liveadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word