HSK 5 · Function Words

主动 zhǔdòng “to take the initiative” in Chinese

Traditional 主動

What 主动 means

  1. to take the initiative
  2. proactive
  3. to do sth of one’s own accord
  4. spontaneous
  5. active
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • drive (of gears and shafts etc)

How to say 主动

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale主zhǔ3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale动dòng4th tone, falling

主动 in a sentence

  1. 你必须积极主动。

    Nǐ bìxū jījí zhǔdòng.

    You have to be proactive.

    Sentence #5091518 from Tatoeba

  2. 所有订阅将自动续订，除非使用者主动取消。

    Suǒyǒu dìngyuè jiāng zìdòng xùdìng, chúfēi shǐyòngzhě zhǔdòng qǔxiāo.

    All subscriptions renew automatically unless the user cancels them.

    Sentence #13511571 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

How 主动 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 主 (zhǔ) with each of its parts in a different colour
主zhǔowner
  • 丶dot · zhǔ
  • 王king · wáng

Memory aidThe dot 丶 on top was once the flame of a lamp: the main one, the master.

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 主动

主 5 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.

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

Words related to 主动

Words with 主

主要zhǔyào · main主意zhǔyi · plan主人zhǔrén · master主张zhǔzhāng · to advocate主持zhǔchí · to host (a programme or event)主观zhǔguān · subjective主任zhǔrèn · director公主gōngzhǔ · princess主席zhǔxí · chairperson主题zhǔtí · theme

Words with 动

动dòng · to move运动yùndòng · to exercise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

More words: Function Words & Grammar

正zhèng · just (in the middle of doing something)支zhī · measure word for pens至于zhìyú · as for逐步zhúbù · progressively自从zìcóng · since (a time)自动zìdòng · automatic总共zǒnggòng · altogether总算zǒngsuàn · at long last

FAQs

主动 (zhǔdòng) means “to take the initiative” or “proactive”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it zhǔdòng: zhǔ with a 3rd 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, 主动 is written 主動. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zhudong with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 主动 from the suggestions. Typing zhudong into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
主动 is an HSK 5 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.