扔下 (rēng xià) — to throw down (from a height); to abandon, to leave behind (people, things, responsibilities)

Definition

A separable verb with two main senses: literally throwing something down from a height, or abandoning someone/something (a project, a person, a responsibility). Often used with 把 to highlight the object being dropped or left behind.

verb
to throw down (from a height)to abandonto leave behind (people, things, responsibilities)

Examples

  • 扔下。
    Tā bǎ jiù shū cóng chuāng kǒu rēng xià le.
    He threw the old books down from the window.
  • 扔下，。
    Tā rēng xià le zhàng fu hé hái zi, yí gè rén qù le guó wài.
    She abandoned her husband and child and went abroad alone.
  • ，扔下？
    Zhè me zhòng yào de xiàng mù, nǐ rēng xià bù guǎn le?
    You're going to abandon such an important project?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

扔rēngthrow
下xiàdown

扔 means throw and 下 means down, giving the idea of throwing something down or leaving it behind.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
乃
乃nǎi扔rēng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 手 is a hand, and the right side 乃 is used for the sound.

Open 扔 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.