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下台 (xià tái) — (verb) to step down (from office, position, etc.); to fall from power; (verb) to go off the stage (literal)

Definition

下台 (xiàtái) means to leave the stage or step down from a position of power — the natural opposite of 上台. Often used with 被迫 ('forced to') for political resignations.

verb
to step down (from office, position, etc.)to fall from powerto go off the stage (literal)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，下台。
    Biǎo yǎn jié shù hòu, yǎn yuán men fēn fēn xià tái.
    After the performance ended, the actors went off the stage one after another.
  • 下台。
    Tā yīn wèi chǒu wén bèi pò xià tái.
    He was forced to step down because of the scandal.
  • ，。
    Tā dāng zhòng bèi jiē chuān, yì shí xià bù liǎo tái.
    He was exposed in public and couldn't save face for a moment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

下xiàgo down
台táistage

下 as going down and 台 as stage combine into leaving the stage, hence stepping down from office.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Government & Politics

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