主动 meaning in English
to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord
Meaning of 主动
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to take the initiative
- to do sth of one's own accord
- spontaneous
- active
- opposite: passive 被動|被动[bei4 dong4]
- drive (of gears and shafts etc)
How to use 主动
主动 is often used before a verb to show someone acts without being asked, or with 很 as a description of a person. It also appears in set phrases like 主动权 (zhǔdòngquán, the initiative). Example: 他主动帮我搬家。(Tā zhǔdòng bāng wǒ bānjiā.) He offered to help me move without being asked.
主 (zhǔ) means master or main, and 动 (dòng) means to move. When you are the master of your own movement, you act on your own, so 主动 means taking the initiative.
Common mistake: Learners often say 积极 (jījí) and 主动 as if they were the same. 积极 means enthusiastic or positive, while 主动 specifically means acting first or on your own accord. Also keep the third tone on 主 (zhǔ), not a first tone like 猪 (zhū).
主动 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
主 zhǔ · owner · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
动 dòng · to move · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 主动.
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 行动 | xíngdòng | operation; action |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal |
| 主人 | zhǔrén | owner; host |
| 活动 | huódòng | to exercise; to move about; to work out; shaky; unsteady; loose (tooth etc) |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal; major; primary |
| 运动 | yùndòng | to move; to exercise |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally) |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | zoo |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
| 发动 | fādòng | to start; to launch |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
Questions about 主动
What does 主动 mean?
主动 (zhǔdòng) means "to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 主动?
主动 is made of 2 characters: 主 (5 strokes), 动 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 主动 an HSK word?
Yes. 主动 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 主动 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 主动 is written 主動.
What is the opposite of 主动?
The opposite is 被动 (bèidòng), meaning passive or acting only when pushed. For example, 主动学习 is learning on your own initiative, and 被动学习 is learning only because you have to.
How do I say someone takes the initiative to contact another person?
A common pattern is 主动 + verb, such as 主动联系 (zhǔdòng liánxì, to reach out first) or 主动找他 (zhǔdòng zhǎo tā, to go to him first). In dating talk, people often say 她很主动 to mean she makes the first move.