降低

• Pinyin: jiàng dī
• Hanzi breakdown: 降 = 阝(hill) + 夅 (phonetic) — to descend; 低 = 亻(person) + 氐 (bottom) — low

Meaning

To lower; to reduce. Actively making something decrease in level, amount, or degree.

Used to express reducing or lowering something, whether tangible like prices and temperatures, or abstract like standards, risks, or costs. Very common in formal and everyday contexts. Collocations include 降低成本 (reduce costs), 降低风险 (reduce risk), 降低标准 (lower standards). The opposite is 提高 (to raise/improve).

Examples

1. 公司决定降低产品的价格来吸引更多顾客。 The company decided to lower the product prices to attract more customers.
2. 多运动可以降低得病的风险。 Exercising more can reduce the risk of getting sick.
3. 请不要降低对自己的要求。 Please don't lower the standards you set for yourself.

Usage Guide

Context: business, health, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们需要降低成本。(We need to reduce costs.)
• 这种药可以降低血压。(This medicine can lower blood pressure.)

Don't Say

• 降低你的身体到地上 (Don't use 降低 for physical body movements — use 蹲下 or 趴下; 降低 is for abstract or measurable values)

Origin & History

A compound of 降 (to descend/drop) and 低 (low), together emphasizing the action of actively making something lower.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal