垂 chuí — to hang (down); droop; dangle; bend down; hand down; bequeath
一根柳条轻轻地垂在水面上。Yì gēn liǔ tiáo qīng qīng de chuí zài shuǐ miàn shàng.A willow branch hangs gently over the water.
Common words: 垂直 (chuí zhí)、垂头丧气 (chuí tóu sàng qì)、下垂 (xià chuí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "down"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "down", including 垂 (chuí), 削 (xuē / xiāo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "down" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 垂 (chuí), 削 (xuē / xiāo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chuí, xuē, xiāo — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 垂 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 垂 chuíto hang (down); droop; dangle; bend down; hand down; bequeathUseful words: 垂直, 垂头丧气
- 削 xuē / xiāoto scrape; to reduce; to pare (away); to cut (down)Useful words: 削弱, 剥削
Common words for these 2 "down" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 垂 (chuí) — so "down" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
垂直chuí zhíperpendicular; vertical垂头丧气chuí tóu sàng qìhanging one's head dispiritedly (idiom); dejected; crestfallen下垂xià chuíto droop; to sag; to hang down; sagging削弱xuē ruòto weaken; to impair; to cripple剥削bō xuēto exploit; exploitation削发xuē fàto shave one's head; fig. to become a monk or nun; to take the tonsure
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "down".
削 xuē / xiāo — to scrape; to reduce; to pare (away); to cut (down)
他用小刀削了一支铅笔。Tā yòng xiǎo dāo xiāo le yì zhī qiān bǐ.He sharpened a pencil with a small knife.
Common words: 削弱 (xuē ruò)、剥削 (bō xuē)、削发 (xuē fà)
All 2 characters
Open 垂、削 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.