Meaning
下 is one of the most fundamental Chinese words indicating spatial position (below, under) or directional movement (downward, descending). It also functions as a verb meaning to go down, get off, or descend, and appears in countless compound words and grammatical constructions.
Usage
Native speakers use 下 constantly in both literal spatial contexts (楼下 'downstairs') and abstract ones (下次 'next time'). As a directional complement, it appears after verbs to show downward motion or completion (坐下 'sit down', 写下 'write down'). It's also used for precipitation (下雨 'to rain') and ordering actions (下命令 'give an order').
Examples
- 01请坐下。.Please sit down.
- 02外面下雨了。.It's raining outside.
Measure words
- 次试一下
Common collocations
- 下班to get off work
- 下雨to rain
- 下次next time
- 一下briefly, a bit
Antonyms
Origin
The character 下 shows a horizontal line with a short stroke beneath it, representing the concept of 'below' or 'under' in its most basic pictographic form.