下

• Pinyin: xià
• Hanzi breakdown: 下 = ideograph of a mark below a base line, indicating downward or below

Meaning

Down; below; to go down; next. The counterpart of 上, used as a direction word, a verb for descending, and to indicate the next instance.

As a location word, 下 means below or under (桌子下面). As a verb, it means to go down (下楼), to get off (下车), to rain or snow (下雨, 下雪), or to finish (下课 end class). It also marks the next occurrence: 下个月 (next month), 下次 (next time). Extremely common in daily conversation.

Examples

1. 下课以后我们去吃饭。 Let's go eat after class ends.
2. 外面下雨了。 It's raining outside.
3. 下个月我要去上海。 Next month I'm going to Shanghai.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, directions, time, weather

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们下车吧，到了。(Let's get off, we've arrived.)
• 下次我请你吃饭。(Next time I'll treat you to a meal.)

Don't Say

• 说'下来雨了'来表示下雨。(Don't say 下来雨了 — say 下雨了 to mean it's raining)

Origin & History

An ideographic character showing a short stroke below a horizontal line, indicating the concept of below or downward.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal