下 xià down
below; down; next; to get off; to finish
How to remember 下: 一 one + 卜 fortune teller = down. One tourist asks the fortune teller where his lost phone is, and she calmly points down at the river.
Component breakdown
指事 · Indicative
A sign that points at an idea, often a mark added to a simple drawing.
下 = 一 one + 卜 fortune teller
- 一 one
- 卜 fortune teller
One tourist asks the fortune teller where his lost phone is, and she calmly points down at the river.
How it came to be
The oldest form is a short line under a long curve, pointing to the place below.
How it is used
- 'Under / down', and 'get off / finish': 树下 (shù xià) under the tree, 下课 (xiàkè) class ends, 下车 (xià chē) get off. On a verb: 坐下 (zuòxià) sit down.
- For dates/sequence it means 'next': 下午 (xiàwǔ) afternoon, 下个月 (xià ge yuè) next month.
- As a verb complement 一下 (yíxià) softens an action to 'a bit / briefly': 看一下 (kàn yíxià) take a quick look.
Characters built with 下
Words with 下
- 一下yīxiàa little bit/whileHSK 1
- 下午xiàwǔafternoonHSK 1
- 下雨xiàyǔrainingHSK 1
- 下班xiàbānto finish workHSK 1
- 下课xiàkèto finish classHSK 1
- 下去xiàqùto go downHSK 2
- 下来xiàláito come downHSK 2
- 下面xiàmiànbelowHSK 2
- 以下yǐxiàthat level or lowerHSK 3
- 下降xiàjiàngto declineHSK 4
- 底下dǐxiathe location below somethingHSK 4
- 留下liúxiato leave behindHSK 4
- 线下xiànxiàofflineHSK 4
- 零下língxiàbelow zero (especially temperature)HSK 4
- 上下shàngxiàthe top and bottom of somethingHSK 5
- 下载xiàzàito downloadHSK 5
- 地下dìxiàundergroundHSK 5
- 如下rúxiàas followsHSK 5
- 下功夫xiàgōngfuto put in effort; to work hard atHSK 6
- 下单xiàdānto place an orderHSK 6
- 下旬xiàxúnlast third of the monthHSK 6
- 下线xiàxiànto go offlineHSK 6
- 天下tiānxiàland under heavenHSK 6
- 当下dāngxiàimmediatelyHSK 6
- 下半场xiàbànchǎngsecond half of a game or contestHSK 7
- 下台xiàtáito go off the stageHSK 7
- 下场xiàchǎngto leaveHSK 7
- 下意识xiàyìshísubconscious mindHSK 7
- 下手xiàshǒuto startHSK 7
- 下游xiàyóulower reaches (of a river)HSK 7
- 下级xiàjílow rankingHSK 7
- 下落xiàluòwhereaboutsHSK 7
- 下行xiàxíngdown (i.e. away from the capital)HSK 7
- 下调xiàtiáoto adjust downwardsHSK 7
- 不下búxiàto be not less thanHSK 7
- 不相上下bùxiāng-shàngxiàequally matchedHSK 7
- 两下子liǎngxiàzia couple of timesHSK 7
- 低下dīxiàlow statusHSK 7
- 地下水dìxiàshuǐgroundwaterHSK 7
- 居高不下jūgāobúxiàto remain highHSK 7
Example sentences
- 下个月是二月。 Xià gè yuè shì èryuè.Next month is February.
- 她下个月生孩子。 Tā xià gè yuè shēng háizi.Her baby is due next month.
- 屋外下着雪。 Wūwài xiàzhe xuě.It's snowing outside.
- 北方在下雪。 Běifāng zài xiàxuě.It's snowing in the north.