Meaning
to use; to act; to move; to change
Chinese: 移动、行动或变化。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “dong” becomes a different word in each tone. 动 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 动作dòng zuòmovement; motion; action; to act
- 活动huó dòngto exercise; to move about; to work out; shaky
- 行动xíng dòngoperation; action; to move about; mobile
- 运动yùn dòngto move; to exercise; sports; exercise
- 动物dòng wùanimal
Example Sentence
风一吹，树叶就动了。Fēng yì chuī, shù yè jiù dòng le.When the wind blew, the leaves moved.
风Fēngwind一yìone吹chuīto blow，树叶shù yètree leaves就jiùthen动dòng(of sth) to move了le(completed action)。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
Force/strength (力) applied to make something move — ‘to move, to act, to stir’. Simplified from 動 (which had 重 for the sound).
A way to remember it
Apply strength (力) and things move.
Easy to confuse with
- 运‘To transport / luck’: also about movement, but with the walk radical 辶.