下台

• Pinyin: xià tái
• Hanzi breakdown: 下 = down, to leave; 台 = a raised platform or stage — a position of public prominence or authority

Meaning

To step down; to leave office; to be forced out of power. Describes the departure of someone from a position of public authority, influence, or prominence, whether voluntary or compelled.

Primarily political and theatrical in its connotations. In political contexts: forced or voluntary departure from power. In performance contexts: to exit the stage after performing. Also used figuratively: 让人下不了台 (to put someone in a position from which there is no graceful exit — to cause someone embarrassment they cannot recover from).

Examples

1. 在连续数周的抗议浪潮和党内压力的双重夹击之下，这位总理宣布辞职下台，结束了长达九年的执政生涯。 After weeks of protests and mounting pressure within his party, the prime minister announced his resignation and stepped down, bringing his nine-year tenure to an end.
2. 他因财务丑闻被迫下台，但其在任期间推行的多项制度改革却在业界留下了深远的影响。 He was forced out over a financial scandal, but several institutional reforms he pushed through while in office left a lasting impact on the industry.
3. 演出结束后，演员们在经久不息的掌声中下台，主办方随即宣布下周将在同一场地举办续演场次。 After the performance ended, the actors left the stage to sustained applause, and the organizer immediately announced additional encore shows at the same venue next week.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, performance, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 丑闻曝光后，他在舆论和董事会压力下被迫下台。(After the scandal broke, he was forced to step down under pressure from public opinion and the board.)
• 在中国政治语境中，官员下台常会引发人事和政策连锁反应。(In Chinese political discourse, an official stepping down often triggers chain reactions in personnel and policy.)

Don't Say

• 下台 when referring to ordinary job resignation — use 辞职 or 离职; 下台 specifically implies leaving a powerful or prominent public position, often under pressure, and carries political or dramatic connotations absent from simple employment changes

Origin & History

下 (down, off) + 台 (stage, platform, position of public prominence — a raised surface associated with performance or authority)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal