场下 (chǎng xià) — (rare, possibly technical) off-stage; off-field

Definition

场下 (cháng) means 'off-stage' or 'off the field' — the area where performers or players are not currently acting/playing. Often used to modify 观众 ('off-stage audience'), contrasting with 场上 'on-stage/on the field'.

noun
(rare, possibly technical) off-stageoff-field
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Yǎn yuán men zài chǎng xià děng zhe chū chǎng.
    The actors are waiting offstage to go on.
  • 。
    Jiào liàn zài chǎng xià duì qiú yuán bù zhì zhàn shù.
    The coach set up tactics for the players off the field.
  • 场下。
    chǎng xià De guān zhòng rè qíng gāo zhǎng.
    The audience off the field was full of enthusiasm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

场chǎngfield
下xiàbelow

场 field and 下 below combine for the area below or off the field.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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 →

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