Meaning of 动机
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- motive; motivation
How to use 动机
动机 is a fairly formal noun for the reason behind an action. It often appears in discussions of crime, study, or behavior, and pairs with words like 学习动机 (learning motivation) and 犯罪动机 (criminal motive). Example: 他这样做的动机是什么？(Tā zhèyàng zuò de dòngjī shì shénme?) What was his motive for doing this?
动 (dòng) means to move and 机 (jī) means a machine or a trigger point, as in 飞机 (fēijī) and 手机 (shǒujī). Your 动机 is the inner machine that gets you moving.
Common mistake: Learners often use 动机 to mean everyday enthusiasm, as in "I have no motivation today." For that feeling, Chinese usually says 没有动力 (méiyǒu dònglì) or 不想动, while 动机 points to the reason or intention behind a specific act.
动机 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.
动 dòng · to move · 6 strokes
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机 jī · desk · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 动机.
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
| 行动 | xíngdòng | operation; action |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal |
| 活动 | huódòng | to exercise; to move about; to work out; shaky; unsteady; loose (tooth etc) |
| 运动 | yùndòng | to move; to exercise |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver |
Questions about 动机
What does 动机 mean?
动机 (dòngjī) means "motive; motivation" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 动机?
动机 is made of 2 characters: 动 (6 strokes), 机 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 动机 an HSK word?
Yes. 动机 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 动机 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 动机 is written 動機.
What is the difference between 动机 and 动力?
动机 is the reason or intention behind an action, the why. 动力 (dònglì) is the drive or energy that pushes you forward. You ask about someone's 动机 when you want to know their purpose, and you say you lack 动力 when you feel unmotivated.
Does 动机 have a negative meaning?
Not by itself. It is neutral, but it often shows up in suspicious contexts, such as 动机不纯 (dòngjī bù chún, impure motives). You can also say 动机很好 to mean someone's intentions were good.