The word 活泼 (huópo), meaning "lively" or "vivacious", is a classic example of a Chinese compound word formed by combining two complementary characters. The first character, 活 (huó), primarily means "to live" or "alive", conveying a sense of life and activity. The second, 泼 (pō), originally means "to splash" or "to sprinkle", evoking an image of energetic, unbounded motion, like splashing water. When paired, their meanings merge metaphorically: the vitality of "being alive" (活) is intensified by the dynamic, unrestrained energy of "sprinkling" (泼), creating a new, abstract concept that vividly describes a person or atmosphere as energetically alive, spirited, and full of animated charm.