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下水 (xià shui) — to enter the water (of a person or animal); to be launched (of a ship); (figurative) to go astray, to take to wrongdoing

Definition

A versatile verb covering two physical senses ('enter the water' for a person/animal; 'be launched' for a ship) and a figurative sense ('go astray, take to wrongdoing'). The figurative use is the most distinctive to remember.

verb
to enter the water (of a person or animal)to be launched (of a ship)(figurative) to go astrayto take to wrongdoing

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā tiào jìn hé lǐ, hěn kuài jiù xià le shuǐ.
    He jumped into the river and quickly got into the water.
  • 下水。
    Zhè sōu xīn chuán míng tiān zhèng shì xià shui.
    This new ship will be officially launched tomorrow.
  • ，。
    Tā jiāo le huài péng you, hòu lái jiù xià le shuǐ.
    He made bad friends and later went astray.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

下xiàenter/descend
水shuǐwater

下 (enter/descend) with 水 (water) means to go into the water.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →
Appears in
Boats & Water Travel

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