大跌 (dà diē) — sharp drop (in prices, stock market, etc.); crash

Definition

A finance/media term for a sharp fall in prices or markets — stronger than 下降 ('decline'). Used as a fixed phrase, usually about stocks, housing, or commodities.

noun
sharp drop (in prices, stock market, etc.)crash

Examples

  • 大跌，。
    Zuó tiān gǔ shì dà diē, hěn duō tóu zī zhě sǔn shī cǎn zhòng.
    The stock market crashed yesterday, causing heavy losses for many investors.
  • 大跌，。
    Fáng jià chū xiàn dà diē, gòu fáng zhě kāi shǐ guān wàng.
    Housing prices have seen a sharp drop, and buyers are starting to wait and see.
  • 大跌。
    Shí yóu jià gé dà diē dǎo zhì néng yuán gōng sī gǔ jià xià diē.
    The sharp drop in oil prices caused energy company stocks to fall.

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.

大dàbig
跌diēfall

The sense of 大 as big combines with 跌 as fall to give a sharp drop.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
失
失shī跌diē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跌 pairs 足 (foot) with 失, which gives a hint to its sound.

Open 跌 →

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