下
xià
- Pinyin
- xià
- Pinyin (Plain)
- xia
- Tone
- 4
- Strokes
- 3
- Radical
- 一
- Readings
- xiàxiaTone: 4down; downwards; below; lower; later; next (week etc); second (of two parts); to decline; to go down; to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc); measure word to show the frequency of an actionOrder: 0Primary
- Stroke Order Code
- Speed
- Stroke Order Data
- ["M 520 688 Q 758 710 827 705 Q 920 702 927 705 Q 927 706 929 707 Q 936 722 923 735 Q 848 801 781 778 Q 673 757 477 733 Q 173 697 130 695 Q 123 696 116 695 Q 101 695 100 683 Q 99 670 120 654 Q 138 641 172 629 Q 184 625 203 633 Q 219 640 294 653 Q 376 674 478 684 L 520 688 Z", "M 544 524 Q 544 642 547 654 Q 551 667 541 675 Q 534 682 520 688 C 494 703 470 713 478 684 Q 499 648 485 268 Q 473 39 480 22 Q 486 6 498 -8 Q 511 -24 523 -5 Q 553 53 546 104 Q 540 161 544 492 L 544 524 Z", "M 544 492 Q 620 446 712 378 Q 733 360 749 359 Q 759 359 765 371 Q 775 387 753 430 Q 723 493 544 524 C 514 529 518 508 544 492 Z"]
- Meaning
- “下” most commonly means “down, below, under” and is used for physical position or direction (to go down, downstairs, under something). It can also mean “next” in a sequence (e.g., next week), “to get off” (e.g., get off a vehicle), or “to finish/end” an activity (e.g., class ends).
- Metadata
- Locale: enCached At: 3/24/2026, 10:48:13 AM
Usage
“下” basically carries the ideas of “down, below, next, under” and appears very early in a learner’s vocabulary. As a standalone word, it means “down / below” (在桌子下: under the table), or “to get off / alight” (下车: get off a vehicle, 下班: get off work). It also functions in time expressions to mean “next” or “following”: 下个星期 (next week), 下午 (afternoon, literally “down/noon”), and 下次 (next time). In commands, it can mean “to go down / come down”: 下来 (come down), 下去 (go down). “下” is heavily used as a result or direction complement in verbs. It can indicate movement downward (放下: put down), continuation or retention (记下: write down, keep in mind; 留下: leave behind), and sometimes “to manage to do / be able to fit” (坐得下: there’s room to sit, 吃得下: can eat it / have the appetite). In serial actions it can just mean “to do (an action)”: 写下你的名字 (write down your name). Learners most often meet “下” in these everyday compound words and verb-complement patterns rather than as an isolated, abstract character.
Handwriting Notes
下 in handwriting is a very simple, compact character: a short horizontal line on top and a longer vertical–slanting stroke underneath, often slightly leaning to the left. The overall shape is a small “T” where the vertical stroke extends down past the top line and may curve or slant a bit, giving it a relaxed, flowing look rather than a perfectly geometric form. In everyday handwriting, the top stroke can be quite short, sometimes just a quick flick, and the lower stroke can range from nearly straight to noticeably slanted, with varying thickness or pressure. Some people write it more square and upright, closer to printed type, while others make it more cursive and connected to neighboring characters. AI handwriting recognition systems are trained to handle these natural variations, so they can usually recognize 下 even when it is written quickly, with slight distortions or in different personal styles.
Description
“下” is a common Chinese character meaning “down,” “below,” “under,” or “next” (in sequence or time), as in 下星期 (“next week”) or 楼下 (“downstairs”). It is also used as a verb meaning “to go down,” “to get off,” or “to put/place,” as in 下车 (“get off a vehicle”) or 放下 (“put down”).
Common Words
- 下xia4down
- 现下xian4 xia4now
- 下巴xia4 ba5chin
- 下颏xia4 ke1chin
- 卑下bei1 xia4base
Example Sentences
我喜欢下。
wo3 xi3 huan5 xia4
I like down.
现下很常见。
xian4 xia4 hen3 chang2 jian4
现下 is very common.
我们在学习下巴。
wo3 men5 zai4 xue2 xi2 xia4 ba5
We are learning chin.
这个下颏很重要。
zhe4 ge5 xia4 ke1 hen3 zhong4 yao4
This chin is important.
请写一下“下”。
qing3 xie3 yi1 xia4 xia4
Please write '下'.