Common Usage & Traps
- 运动 — sports, exercise
- 动物 — animal
- 别动 — don't move
- 动一下 — move a bit
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动运运动The order is fixed as 运动. 动运 is not a word.
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动的人动物动物 is the word for animal. 动的人 is not a standard term.
动
Origin & Mnemonic:
To use physical strength to shift a heavy object. To move, act, work, change, or stir up emotion. Cloud (云) plus power (力): the force that pushes clouds across the sky.
What is the difference between 动 and 运?
动 means 'to move'; 运 means 'to transport' or 'luck'. They are different characters that combine in 运动.
动 (dòng) is about movement or action, as in 别动 (don't move) or 动物 (animal). 运 (yùn) is about transport or fortune, as in 运气 (luck) or 运输 (transport). The word 运动 (sports) uses both, but 动 and 运 are not interchangeable.
| Dimension | 动 | 运 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to move, action | to transport, luck |
| Example | 别动 (don't move) | 运气 (luck) |
| In compound | 运动 (sports) | 运动 (sports) |
Can 动 be used alone in a sentence?
Yes, 动 can stand alone as a verb, but it also appears in many common compounds.
动 is a free morpheme, so it can be a verb by itself, like 别动！ (Don't move!). It also forms compounds such as 运动 (sports), 动物 (animal), and 动手 (start work). Beginners should learn both uses.
| Usage | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | 别动！ | Don't move! |
| Compound | 运动 | sports |
| Compound | 动物 | animal |
Appears in Stories 1 story
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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Ｂ：因为我不喜欢 运动 ，所以这两个我都不喜欢。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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