Definition
下水 is a separable verb (离合词) with three main senses: (1) entering water (人下水), (2) a ship being launched (船下水), and (3) figuratively, going astray or getting involved in wrongdoing (人下水/下海). As a separable verb, 水 can be separated from 下 by aspect markers like 了, 过, or duration phrases — for example, 下了水 ('got into the water'), 下过水 ('have been in the water before'), or 下了一个小时的水 ('was in the water for an hour'). The figurative sense is commonly used in warning contexts, e.g., 他后来下了水 ('he later went down a bad path').
v.o.
to enter the water (of a person or animal)to be launched (of a ship)(figurative) to go astrayto take to wrongdoing
Examples
- ，。Tā tiào jìn hé lǐ, hěn kuài jiù xià le shuǐ.He jumped into the river and quickly got into the water.
- 下水。Zhè sōu xīn chuán míngtiān zhèngshì xià shui.This new ship will be officially launched tomorrow.
- ，。Tā jiāo le huài péngyou, hòulái jiù xià le shuǐ.He made bad friends and later went astray.
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