HSK 2 · Common Verbs

运动 yùndòng “to exercise” in Chinese

Traditional 運動

What 运动 means

  1. to exercise, sport
  2. to move
  3. sports
  4. motion
  5. movement

Measure word 场 chǎng · 一场运动 yì chǎng yùndòng

How to say 运动

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale运yùn4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale动dòng4th tone, falling

运动 in a sentence

  1. 我每天运动一小时。

    Wǒ měitiān yùndòng yì xiǎoshí.

    I exercise for an hour every day.

    Sentence #1064541 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 网球是我最喜欢的运动。

    Wǎngqiú shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de yùndòng.

    Tennis is my favourite sport.

    Sentence #3783097 from Tatoeba

  3. 我对运动感兴趣。

    Wǒ duì yùndòng gǎn xìngqù.

    I’m interested in sport.

    Sentence #8698963 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 运动 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 运 (yùn) with each of its parts in a different colour
运yùnto move
  • 云cloud · yúnSound part
  • 辶walking form of 辵 · chuòMeaning part

辶 hints at the meaning (walking); 云 (yún) hints at the sound. Compare it with yùn.

The character 动 (dòng) with each of its parts in a different colour
动dòngto move
  • 云cloud · yún
  • 力strength · lìMeaning part

Memory aidStrength 力 makes things move. In the full form 動, 重 (zhòng) gave the sound.

How to write 运动

运 7 strokes · 动 6 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

运动 (yùndòng) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 运动 (yùndòng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 运动

Words with 运

运动员yùndòngyuán · athlete运动会yùndònghuì · sports meet运输yùnshū · to transport运用yùnyòng · to use幸运xìngyùn · fortunate运气yùnqi · luck (good or bad)命运mìngyùn · fate运算yùnsuàn · mathematical operation运行yùnxíng · to run托运tuōyùn · to check in (luggage)

Words with 动

动dòng · to move动物dòngwù · animal动物园dòngwùyuán · zoo运动员yùndòngyuán · athlete运动会yùndònghuì · sports meet活动huódòng · activity感动gǎndòng · to be moved激动jīdòng · excited动作dòngzuò · movement行动xíngdòng · to act

More words: Common Verbs

希望xīwàng · to hope告诉gàosu · to tell问wèn · to ask开始kāishǐ · to begin洗xǐ · to wash穿chuān · to wear送sòng · to give as gift走zǒu · to walk

FAQs

运动 (yùndòng) means “to exercise, sport” or “to move”. It is an HSK 2 word, so it is one of the words learners meet early.
Say it yùndòng: yùn with a 4th tone, then dòng with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 运动 is written 運動. The pronunciation is the same.
Use 场 (chǎng). For example, one to exercise is 一场运动 (yì chǎng yùndòng).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type yundong with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 运动 from the suggestions. Typing yundong into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
运动 is an HSK 2 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.