卧

• Pinyin: wò
• Hanzi breakdown: 卧 = 臣 (a prostrate official, head bowed in submission or rest) + 人 (person)

Meaning

To lie down; to recline; to rest in a horizontal position. Also used for animals crouching or resting low to the ground.

Used in formal and literary contexts for lying down (卧床 = bedridden; 卧倒 = drop down flat). Common in compound words: 卧室 (bedroom), 卧铺 (sleeping berth on a train), 卧底 (undercover agent — literally 'lying hidden'). Also used in cooking: 卧蛋 = poached egg.

Examples

1. 他病得很严重，已经卧床两周，连站起来走动都十分困难。 He’s very seriously ill and has been confined to bed for two weeks; even getting up to walk around is extremely difficult.
2. 那只老狗卧在门口，懒洋洋地晒着太阳，对来往的行人视若无睹。 That old dog lay at the doorway, lazily basking in the sun, completely indifferent to people coming and going.
3. 战士们接到命令后立刻卧倒，借助草丛的掩护向目标悄悄靠近。 After receiving the order, the soldiers immediately hit the ground and, using the tall grass as cover, quietly moved closer to the target.

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily life, military

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他每天午休时习惯卧在沙发上休息片刻，认为这样能让下午保持更好的工作状态。(He habitually lies down on the sofa for a short rest each day at noon, believing it helps him maintain better focus in the afternoon.)
• 那位老将军卧病多年，即便身体每况愈下，依然坚持每天阅读新闻，关注国家大事。(That elderly general has been bedridden for many years — even as his health deteriorated, he continued reading the news every day and keeping up with national affairs.)

Don't Say

• 我卧在床上睡觉 — 睡觉 already implies lying down; say simply 躺在床上睡觉 or 卧床休息; combining both 卧 and 睡觉 in the same clause is redundant

Origin & History

臣 (a prostrate official, head bowed) + 人 (person) — a person lying down

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal