低 (dī) — (adjective) low (in height, level, price, temperature, etc.); (verb) to lower, to droop (head, voice, eyes, etc.)
Definition
低 is the everyday word for 'low' (height, price, temperature, voice). Compared with 矮, use 低 for non-people/non-buildings — 矮 is mainly for people and stature. As a verb, it pairs with the object (低头, 低声).
adjective
low (in height, level, price, temperature, etc.)
verb
to lowerto droop (head, voice, eyes, etc.)
Examples
- 低。Zhè ge jià gé hěn dī.This price is very low.
- 低。Tā shuō huà de shēng yīn hěn dī.His speaking voice is very low.
- 。Tā dī xià le tóu.He lowered his head.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī低dī
Same sound today
In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.
Appears in
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