下放 (xià fàng) — to transfer (power/authority) to a lower level; to delegate; to send (cadres, intellectuals, etc.) to work at the grassroots or do manual labor (historical)

Definition

Refers to two distinct political uses: delegating authority downward (权力下放) and, historically, sending cadres or intellectuals to the grassroots or countryside for manual labor — most associated with the Cultural Revolution era.

verb
to transfer (power/authority) to a lower levelto delegateto send (cadres, intellectuals, etc.) to work at the grassroots or do manual labor (historical)

Examples

  • 下放
    Zhōng yāng zhèng fǔ jué dìng bǎ bù fen quán lì xià fàng gěi dì fāng.
    The central government decided to delegate some power to local authorities.
  • 下放
    Wén gé qī jiān, xǔ duō zhī shi fèn zǐ bèi xià fàng dào nóng cūn láo dòng.
    During the Cultural Revolution, many intellectuals were sent to the countryside to do manual labor.
  • 下放
    Qǐ yè gǎi gé hòu, bù fen guǎn lǐ quán xià fàng gěi le fēn gōng sī.
    After the corporate reform, some management authority was delegated to the branch companies.

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.

xiàdownward
fàngrelease

The action of 放, release or send, is directed 下, downward, so it means transfer to a lower level.

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 →

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
Written in full ashand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
fāngfàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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