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躺倒 (tǎng dǎo) — to lie down, to fall flat (into a lying position); (figurative) to give up, to collapse (in the face of pressure)

Definition

Literally 'lie down', but the figurative sense — collapsing or giving up under pressure (often like 放弃 but more physical/exhausted) — is the one you'll meet in reading. The literal meaning is just the basic 躺 plus a completion sense.

verb
to lie downto fall flat (into a lying position)(figurative) to give upto collapse (in the face of pressure)

Examples

  • ，躺倒。
    Tā tài lèi le, yì huí jiā jiù tǎng dǎo zài chuáng shàng le.
    He was so tired that he lay down on the bed as soon as he got home.
  • 躺倒。
    Nà ge lǎo rén bèi fēng yì chuī jiù tǎng dǎo le.
    That old man fell flat after being blown by the wind.
  • 躺倒，。
    Yù dào kùn nan bú yào qīng yì tǎng dǎo, yào jiān chí xià qù.
    Don't give up easily when facing difficulties; you must persevere.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

躺tǎnglie
倒dǎofall flat

The sense of 躺 lying joins 倒 falling flat to mean lie down.

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
身身shēnbody
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng躺tǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

躺 pairs 身 (body) with 尚, which gives its sound.

Open 躺 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
到
到dào倒dào
Same sound today

倒 combines 亻 (person) with 到, which gives the sound.

Open 倒 →
Appears in
Daily Routine

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