Usage of the character 下

General Lü Meng 呂蒙／吕蒙 of the southern state of Wu (idiom); model of self-improvement by diligent study (from unlettered soldier to top strategist of Wu)

xīyángxīxià

夕阳西下

[夕陽西下]

the sun sets in the west (idiom)

Xiàhuāyuán Qū

下花园区

[下花園區]

Xiahuayuan District of Zhangjiakou city 張家口市／张家口市 ( Zhāngjiākǒushì), Hebei

shéxiàhánfù

舌下含服

[舌下含服]

sublingual administration (medicine)

dīshǒuxiàxīn

低首下心

[低首下心]

to be fawningly submissive (idiom)

xiàxiànyíshì

下线仪式

[下線儀式]

product launching ceremony

xǔxiàyuànxīn

许下愿心

[許下願心]

to express a wish (to a deity)

sānxiàliǎngxià

三下两下

[三下兩下]

quickly and effortlessly (idiom)

zhēngzhíbùxià

争执不下

[爭執不下]

to quarrel endlessly

xiàdìngjuéxīn

下定决心

[下定決心]

to make a firm resolution

shēnglèijùxià

声泪俱下

[聲淚俱下]

to shed tears while recounting sth
speaking in a tearful voice

yīqìzhīxià

一气之下

[一氣之下]

in a fit of pique
in a fury

bùfēngāoxià

不分高下

[不分高下]

equally matched
not much to distinguish who is stronger

jìrénlíxià

寄人篱下

[寄人籬下]

to lodge under another person's roof (idiom); to live relying on sb else's charity

yìxiàrúhé

意下如何

[意下如何]

how about it?
what do you think?

piáopō'érxià

瓢泼而下

[瓢潑而下]

(of rain) to fall heavily

shuāngguǎnqíxià

双管齐下

[雙管齊下]

lit. to paint holding two brushes (idiom); fig. to work on two tasks at the same time
to attack one problem from two angles at the same time

gānbàixiàfēng

甘拜下风

[甘拜下風]

to step down gracefully (humble expression)
to concede defeat
to play second fiddle

Sōngxià Gōngsī

松下公司

[松下公司]

Panasonic Corporation (formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.)

xiàxuánxiāoqiú

下旋削球

[下旋削球]

(golf, tennis) undercut

tiānxiàdàluàn

天下大乱

[天下大亂]

the whole country in rebellion

shàngxíngxiàxiào

上行下效

[上行下傚]

subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)

jūgāolínxià

居高临下

[居高臨下]

lit. to be in a high location, overlooking the scene below (idiom)
fig. to occupy a commanding position
to assume a haughty attitude

děngyīxiàr

等一下儿

[等一下兒]

erhua variant of 等一下 (děngyīxià)

èrchóngxiàbiāo

二重下标

[二重下標]

double subscript
doubly indexed

shānránlèixià

潸然泪下

[潸然淚下]

to shed silent tears (idiom)

Lìdàizhìxià

历代志下

[歷代志下]

Second book of Chronicles

kuāxiahǎikǒu

夸下海口

[誇下海口]

see 誇海口／夸海口 (kuāhǎikǒu)

xiàhánwǔtǒng

下寒武统

[下寒武統]

lower Cambrian series (geological strata from approx 530 million years ago)

kuàxiàzhīrǔ

胯下之辱

[胯下之辱]

lit. the humiliation of having to crawl between the legs of one's adversary (as Han Xin 韓信／韩信 ( Hán Xìn) supposedly did rather than engage in a sword fight) (idiom)
fig. utter humiliation

tuōrénxiàshuǐ

拖人下水

[拖人下水]

lit. to pull sb into the water
fig. to involve sb in a messy business
to get sb into trouble

bāodǎtiānxià

包打天下

[包打天下]

to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
not allow anyone else to have a look in

niǎojiǎoxiàmù

鸟脚下目

[鳥腳下目]

Ornithopoda, suborder of herbivorous dinosaurs including iguanodon

guātiánlǐxià

瓜田李下

[瓜田李下]

abbr. for 瓜田不納履，李下不整冠／瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 (guātiánbùnàlü,lǐxiàbùzhěngguān)

yánxiàzhīyì

言下之意

[言下之意]

implication

xiàchénshìchǎng

下沉市场

[下沉市場]

the Chinese market, excluding first- and second-tier cities

luòjǐngxiàshí

落井下石

[落井下石]

to throw stones at sb who has fallen down a well (idiom)
to hit a person when he's down

shàngxiàqíshǒu

上下其手

[上下其手]

to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
fig. conspiring to defraud

xiàlǐbārén

下里巴人

[下里巴人]

folk songs of the state of Chu 楚國／楚国 ( Chǔguó)
popular art forms (contrasted with 陽春白雪／阳春白雪 (yángchūnbáixuě), highbrow art forms)

xiàfēngfāngxiàng

下风方向

[下風方向]

leeward

yànxiàkùnnán

咽下困难

[嚥下困難]

dysphagia (medicine)

pínxiàzhōngnóng

贫下中农

[貧下中農]

(category defined by the Communist Party) poor and lower-middle peasants: farmers who, before land reform, possessed little or no land (poor peasants) and those who were barely able to support themselves with their own land (lower-middle peasants)

xiàgèxīngqī

下个星期

[下個星期]

next week

shìfēngrìxià

世风日下

[世風日下]

public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)

qíhǔnánxià

骑虎难下

[騎虎難下]

if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway

xiàbùláitái

下不来台

[下不來臺]

to be put on the spot
to find oneself in an awkward situation

xiàbùwéilì

下不为例

[下不為例]

not to be repeated
not to be taken as a precedent
just this once

huóbùxiàqu

活不下去

[活不下去]

impossible to make a living

zhìlìdīxià

智力低下

[智力低下]

mental retardation

yuèxiàhuāqián

月下花前

[月下花前]

lit. amidst the flowers under the moonlight (idiom)
fig. romantic surroundings

bùxiāngshàngxià

不相上下

[不相上下]

equally matched
about the same

lèirúyǔxià

泪如雨下

[淚如雨下]

tears falling like rain (idiom)

xiàmáomaoyǔ

下毛毛雨

[下毛毛雨]

to drizzle; to rain lightly
(fig.) (coll.) to give (sb) a heads-up; to break (some bad news) gently; to scold mildly

nǎoxiàchuítǐ

脑下垂体

[腦下垂體]

pituitary glands (at the base of the skull)

měixiàyùkuàng

每下愈况

[每下愈況]

see 每況愈下／每况愈下 (měikuàngyùxià)

xiāngbǐzhīxià

相比之下

[相比之下]

by comparison

tiānxiàdìyī

天下第一

[天下第一]

first under heaven
number one in the country

xiāngchíbùxià

相持不下

[相持不下]

at a stalemate
deadlocked
in unrelenting mutual opposition

shàngtùxiàxiè

上吐下泻

[上吐下瀉]

to vomit and have diarrhea

zǒuxiàpōlù

走下坡路

[走下坡路]

to go downhill
to decline
to slump

bùkuìxiàxué

不愧下学

[不愧下學]

not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)

Lièwángjìxià

列王纪下

[列王紀下]

Second book of Kings

fàngxiàshēnduàn

放下身段

[放下身段]

(idiom) to get off one's high horse; to dispense with posturing (and adopt a more humble or empathetic attitude)

Lièwángjìxià

列王记下

[列王記下]

Second book of Kings

yǎnpídǐxia

眼皮底下

[眼皮底下]

in front of one's eyes

děng'érxiàzhī

等而下之

[等而下之]

going from there to lower grades (idiom)

yǒuliǎngxiàzi

有两下子

[有兩下子]

to have real skill
to know one's stuff

shàngshānxiàxiāng

上山下乡

[上山下鄉]

to work in the fields (esp. young school-leavers)
forced agricultural experience for city intellectuals

jǔguóshàngxià

举国上下

[舉國上下]

the entire nation
the whole country, from the leadership to the rank and file

xiāngxiàxíqì

乡下习气

[鄉下習氣]

country manners; provincialism

fàngxiabāofu

放下包袱

[放下包袱]

to lay down a heavy burden

qíngjízhīxià

情急之下

[情急之下]

in a moment of desperation

fàngbuxiàxīn

放不下心

[放不下心]

cannot stop worrying

qīshàngbāxià

七上八下

[七上八下]

at sixes and sevens
perturbed state of mind
in a mess

dīsānxiàsì

低三下四

[低三下四]

servile

mǒbùxiàliǎn

抹不下脸

[抹不下臉]

to be unable to keep a straight face (idiom)

hànrúyǔxià

汗如雨下

[汗如雨下]

sweating like rain (idiom); to perspire profusely
sweating like a pig

lǐxiánxiàshì

礼贤下士

[禮賢下士]

respect for the wise

měikuàngyùxià

每况愈下

[每況愈下]

to steadily deteriorate

wàngxiàcíhuáng

妄下雌黄

[妄下雌黃]

to alter a text indiscriminately (idiom)
to make irresponsible criticism

hūshànghūxià

忽上忽下

[忽上忽下]

to fluctuate sharply

yījiàogāoxià

一较高下

[一較高下]

to compete against
to measure oneself against
to go head to head (see who is best)

luòyúxiàfēng

落于下风

[落於下風]

to be at a disadvantage

xiàshǔgōngsī

下属公司

[下屬公司]

subsidiary (company)

húlúntūnxià

囫囵吞下

[囫圇吞下]

to swallow whole
(fig.) to swallow (lies etc)

tiānxiàtàipíng

天下太平

[天下太平]

the whole world at peace (idiom); peace and prosperity

zìshàng'érxià

自上而下

[自上而下]

top-down

píxiàzhùshè

皮下注射

[皮下注射]

hypodermic injection; subcutaneous injection

jiānghérìxià

江河日下

[江河日下]

rivers pour away by the day (idiom); going from bad to worse
deteriorating day by day

bīnglínchéngxià

兵临城下

[兵臨城下]

soldiers at the city walls (idiom); fig. at a critical juncture

xiàzhúkèlìng

下逐客令

[下逐客令]

to ask sb to leave
to show sb the door
to give a tenant notice to leave

zhèngzhòngxiàhuái

正中下怀

[正中下懷]

exactly what one wants

xiàhéxiàxiàn

下颌下腺

[下頜下腺]

submandibular salivary gland

jiǔgōngbùxià

久攻不下

[久攻不下]

to attack for a long time without success

wēizhèntiānxià

威震天下

[威震天下]

to inspire awe throughout the empire (idiom)

bùchǐxiàwèn

不耻下问

[不恥下問]

not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates

néngshàngnéngxià

能上能下

[能上能下]

ready to take any job, high or low

níshājùxià

泥沙俱下

[泥沙俱下]

mud and sand flow together (idiom)
good and bad mingle

bùfēnshàngxià

不分上下

[不分上下]

not to know one's place

jiānjìtiānxià

兼济天下

[兼濟天下]

to make everyone's lives better

Sōngxià Diànqì

松下电器

[松下電器]

Panasonic Corporation (formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.)

yuèxiàlǎorén

月下老人

[月下老人]

minor divinity concerned with marriage
matchmaker
go-between

míngmǎntiānxià

名满天下

[名滿天下]

world famous

zhuǎnrùdìxià

转入地下

[轉入地下]

to go underground
to turn to secret activities

tóujǐngxiàshí

投井下石

[投井下石]

to throw stones at sb who has fallen down a well (idiom)
to hit a person when he's down

zìdǐngxiàngxià

自顶向下

[自頂向下]

top-down

hēidēngxiàhuǒ

黑灯下火

[黑燈下火]

pitch dark
also written 黑燈瞎火／黑灯瞎火 (hēidēngxiāhuǒ)

xiàjiàntóujiàn

下箭头键

[下箭頭鍵]

down arrow key (on keyboard)

duìzhèngxiàyào

对症下药

[對症下藥]

lit. to prescribe the right medicine for an illness (idiom); fig. to study a problem to find the right way to solve it
to take appropriate steps

wúcóngxiàshǒu

无从下手

[無從下手]

not know where to start

chéngshàngqǐxià

承上起下

[承上起下]

to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition
forming a bridge between earlier and later stages

Shàngxià Wǔ Qiānnián

上下五千年

[上下五千年]

Tales from 5000 Years of Chinese History in three volumes by Cao Yuzhang 曹餘章／曹余章 ( Cáo Yúzhāng)

tiānshàngxiàdāozi

天上下刀子

[天上下刀子]

lit. knives rain down from the sky (idiom)
fig. (even if) the sky crumbles

shuǐxiàhébàozhà

水下核爆炸

[水下核爆炸]

nuclear underwater burst
underwater nuclear explosion

shuǐxiàhéshìyàn

水下核试验

[水下核試驗]

underwater nuclear test

dìxiàhébàozhà

地下核爆炸

[地下核爆炸]

nuclear underground burst
underground nuclear explosion

dìxiàhéshìyàn

地下核试验

[地下核試驗]

underground nuclear test

xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng

先下手为强

[先下手為強]

(idiom) strike first to gain the upper hand

yǎnpízidǐxià

眼皮子底下

[眼皮子底下]

right in front of sb's eyes
right under sb's nose
current
at the moment

sānxiàwǔchú'èr

三下五除二

[三下五除二]

three, set five remove two (abacus rule)
efficiently
quickly and easily

xiàyìyuànyìyuán

下议院议员

[下議院議員]

Member of Parliament (MP) (UK Politics)

Sāmǔ'ěrjìxià

撒母耳记下

[撒母耳記下]

Second book of Samuel

chuàngxiàgāopiàofáng

创下高票房

[創下高票房]

to set a box office record

shàngxiàwéncàidān

上下文菜单

[上下文菜單]

context menu (computing)

yǐnbìqiǎngpòxiàzǎi

隐蔽强迫下载

[隱蔽強迫下載]

drive-by download (a form of malware booby-trap)
silent drive-by download

rénxíngdìxiàtōngdào

人行地下通道

[人行地下通道]

pedestrian underpass

shàngqìbùjiēxiàqì

上气不接下气

[上氣不接下氣]

out of breath (idiom)
to gasp for air

qiětīngxiàhuífēnjiě

且听下回分解

[且聽下回分解]

to listen to the next chapter for an explanation

pícéngxiàshīyǔzhèng

皮层下失语症

[皮層下失語症]

subcortical aphasia

Sōngxià Diànqì Gōngyè

松下电气工业

[松下電氣工業]

Matsushita Electronics Industry

huátiānxiàzhīdàjī

滑天下之大稽

[滑天下之大稽]

to be the most ridiculous thing in the world (idiom)

wéikǒngtiānxiàbùluàn

唯恐天下不乱

[唯恐天下不亂]

to wish for the whole world to be in chaos (idiom)

nádeqǐfàngdexià

拿得起放得下

[拿得起放得下]

lit. can pick it up or put it down (idiom)
fig. to take what comes
to meet gains or losses with equanimity

kànrénxiàcàidiér

看人下菜碟儿

[看人下菜碟兒]

(dialect) to treat sb according to their social status, relationship with them etc (idiom)
not to treat everyone equally favorably

shàngyǒulǎoxiàyǒuxiǎo

上有老下有小

[上有老下有小]

lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
sandwich generation

fàngshèxìngluòxiàhuī

放射性落下灰

[放射性落下灰]

radioactive fallout

gāndǎléi,bùxiàyǔ

干打雷，不下雨

[乾打雷，不下雨]

all thunder but no rain (idiom)
a lot of noise but no action

qiánbùpícéngxiàsǔnshāng

前部皮层下损伤

[前部皮層下損傷]

anterior subcortical lesions

páiwūdìxiàzhǔguǎnwǎng

排污地下主管网

[排污地下主管網]

underground sewage network

nánrénxīxiàyǒuhuángjīn

男人膝下有黄金

[男人膝下有黃金]

lit. the man has gold under his knees; fig. a man who does not easily kneel in front of others (owing to pride or moral integrity)

xiétiānzǐyǐlìngtiānxià

挟天子以令天下

[挾天子以令天下]

(expr.) hold the feudal overlord and you control the whole country

shàngdāoshān,xiàyóuguō

上刀山，下油锅

[上刀山，下油鍋]

lit. to climb mountains of swords and enter cauldrons of boiling oil (idiom)
fig. to go through trials and tribulations

ànxiàhúlúfúqǐpiáo

按下葫芦浮起瓢

[按下葫蘆浮起瓢]

solve one problem only to find another cropping up

shàngdāoshān,xiàhuǒhǎi

上刀山，下火海

[上刀山，下火海]

lit. to climb mountains of swords and enter seas of flames (idiom)
fig. to go through trials and tribulations (often, for a noble cause)

dàshùdǐxiàhǎochéngliáng

大树底下好乘凉

[大樹底下好乘涼]

lit. under a big tree the shade is plentiful (idiom)
fig. to benefit by proximity to an influential person

qiángjiàngshǒuxiàwúruòbīng

强将手下无弱兵

[強將手下無弱兵]

there are no poor soldiers under a good general (idiom)

tiānxiàwūyāyībānhēi

天下乌鸦一般黑

[天下烏鴉一般黑]

all crows are black (idiom)
evil people are bad all over the world

fùcháozhīxiàwúwánluǎn

覆巢之下无完卵

[覆巢之下無完卵]

lit. when the nest is upset no egg is left intact (idiom)
fig. when one falls in disgrace the whole family is doomed

màotiānxiàzhīdàbùwěi

冒天下之大不韪

[冒天下之大不韙]

see 冒大不韙／冒大不韪 (màodàbùwěi)

shàngliángbùzhèngxiàliángwāi

上梁不正下梁歪

[上梁不正下梁歪]

lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices

bǐshàngbùzúbǐxiàyǒuyú

比上不足比下有余

[比上不足比下有餘]

to fall short of the best but be better than the worst
can pass muster

tiānxiàméiyǒubùsàndeyànxí

天下没有不散的宴席

[天下沒有不散的宴席]

see 天下沒有不散的筵席／天下没有不散的筵席 (tiānxiàméiyǒubùsàndeyánxí)

tiānxiàméiyǒubùsàndeyánxí

天下没有不散的筵席

[天下沒有不散的筵席]

all good things must come to an end (idiom)

shàngyǒutiāntáng,xiàyǒu Sū Háng

上有天堂，下有苏杭

[上有天堂，下有蘇杭]

lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭／苏杭 ( Sū Háng) below (idiom)
fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven

fàngxiàtúdāo,lìdìchéngfó

放下屠刀，立地成佛

[放下屠刀，立地成佛]

lay down butcher's knife, become a Buddha on the spot (idiom); instant rehabilitation
to repent and be absolved of one's crimes

qiānlǐzhīxíng,shǐyúzúxià

千里之行，始于足下

[千里之行，始於足下]

lit. a thousand mile journey begins with the first step
fig. big accomplishments come from an accumulation of little achievements made one by one

shàngyǒuzhèngcè,xiàyǒuduìcè

上有政策，下有对策

[上有政策，下有對策]

The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)

tiānxiàxīngwáng,pǐfūyǒuzé

天下兴亡，匹夫有责

[天下興亡，匹夫有責]

The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.

lǎoshǔlāguī,wúcóngxiàshǒu

老鼠拉龟，无从下手

[老鼠拉龜，無從下手]

like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip (idiom)
no clue where to start

xiùcaibùchūmén,quánzhītiānxiàshì

秀才不出门，全知天下事

[秀才不出門，全知天下事]

a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom)

guātiánbùnàlü,lǐxiàbùzhěngguān

瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠

[瓜田不納履，李下不整冠]

lit. don't tie your shoelaces in a melon patch, and don't adjust your hat under a plum tree (idiom)
fig. don't do anything that might arouse suspicion
innocent acts may be misconstrued

táishàngyīfēnzhōng,táixiàshíniángōng

台上一分钟，台下十年功

[臺上一分鐘，臺下十年功]

ten years of practice for one minute on the stage (idiom)

tiānxiàwúnánshì,zhǐpàyǒuxīnrén

天下无难事，只怕有心人

[天下無難事，只怕有心人]

lit. there is nothing the determined person can't accomplish (idiom)
fig. persistence will overcome

xiùcaibùchūmén,néngzhītiānxiàshì

秀才不出门，能知天下事

[秀才不出門，能知天下事]

a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom)

duānqǐwǎnchīròu,fàngxiàkuàizimàniáng

端起碗吃肉，放下筷子骂娘

[端起碗吃肉，放下筷子罵娘]

lit. to eat meat from one's bowl, then put down one's chopsticks and scold one's mother (idiom)
fig. to complain despite being privileged
to be ungrateful for what one has been given

shědeyīshēnguǎ,gǎnbǎhuángdìlāxiàmǎ

舍得一身剐，敢把皇帝拉下马

[捨得一身剮，敢把皇帝拉下馬]

one who does not fear the death of thousand cuts will dare to unhorse the emperor (proverb)
to a fearless person, no fence is high enough

xiāntiānxiàzhīyōu'éryōu,hòutiānxiàzhīlè'érlè

先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

[先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂]

to be the first to worry about affairs of state, and the last to enjoy oneself (quotation from the essay On Yueyang Tower 岳陽樓記／岳阳楼记 ( Yuèyánglóujì) by Song writer Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹 ( Fàn Zhòngyān)