下 — down; downwards; below
down; downwards; below; lower; later; next; second; to decline
- Pinyin
- xià
- Strokes
- 3
- HSK level
- HSK 1
- Handwriting
- required
How to write 下: 3 strokes
Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. This character is on the HSK handwriting list, so the exam expects you to write it, not only recognise it.
Words with 下 in the HSK syllabus: 53
Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.
- 下xiàdown; downwards; below; lower; later; next; secondHSK 1
- 下雨xià yǔto rainHSK 1
- 下班xiàbānto finish work; to get off work; next serviceHSK 1
- 下课xiàkèto finish class; to get out of classHSK 1
- 下午xiàwǔafternoon; p.m.HSK 1
- 一下yíxiàa bit; a little; all at once; suddenlyHSK 1
- 下来xiàláito come down; to be harvested; to be overHSK 2
- 下面xiàmiànbelow; under; next; the followingHSK 2
- 下去xiàqùto go down; to descend; to go on; to continueHSK 2
- 以下yǐxiàthat level or lower; that amount or lessHSK 3
- 底下dǐxiathe location below sth; afterwardsHSK 4
- 零下líng xiàbelow zeroHSK 4
- 留下liúxiato leave behind; to stay behind; to remain; to keepHSK 4
- 下降xiàjiàngto decline; to drop; to fall; to go downHSK 4
- 线下xiànxiàoffline; below the lineHSK 4
- 地下dìxiàunderground; subterranean; covertHSK 5
- 如下rúxiàas followsHSK 5
- 上下shàngxiàthe top and bottom of sthHSK 5
- 下载xiàzàito downloadHSK 5
- 当下dāngxiàimmediately; at once; at that moment; at the momentHSK 6
- 天下tiānxiàland under heaven; the whole worldHSK 6
- 下功夫xià gōngfu—HSK 6
- 下单xiàdānto place an order; to orderHSK 6
- 下线xiàxiànto go offline; to roll off the assembly lineHSK 6
- 下旬xiàxúnlast third of the monthHSK 6
- 不下búxiàto be not less thanHSK 7–9
- 不耻下问bùchǐ-xiàwènnot feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinatesHSK 7–9
- 不相上下bùxiāng-shàngxiàequally matched; about the sameHSK 7–9
- 打下手dǎ xiàshǒuto act in a supporting roleHSK 7–9
- 低下dīxiàlow status; lowly; to lowerHSK 7–9
- 地下水dìxiàshuǐgroundwaterHSK 7–9
- 对症下药duìzhèng-xiàyàolit. to prescribe the right medicine for an illness; fig. to study a problem to find the right way to solve itHSK 7–9
- 居高不下jūgāo bú xiàto remain highHSK 7–9
- 两下子liǎngxiàzia couple of times; to repeat the sameHSK 7–9
- 私下sīxiàin privateHSK 7–9
- 下半场xiàbànchǎngsecond half of a game or contestHSK 7–9
- 下场xiàchǎngto leave; to take part in some activityHSK 7–9
- 下达xiàdáto transmit to lower levels; to issueHSK 7–9
- 下跌xiàdiēto fall; to tumbleHSK 7–9
- 下滑xiàhuáto slide down; to declineHSK 7–9
And 13 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.
Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.