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台下 (tái xià) — (position word) offstage, under the stage; the area in front of the stage (audience side) or backstage

Definition

Position word for the area offstage or in front of/below the stage — the audience side. Pairs with 台上 (onstage / on the platform), which marks the performer's side.

noun
(position word) offstageunder the stagethe area in front of the stage (audience side) or backstage

Examples

  • ，台下。
    Yǎn yuán zài tái shàng biǎo yǎn, tái xià de guān zhòng kàn dé hěn kāi xīn.
    The actors perform on stage, and the audience offstage enjoys it.
  • 台下，。
    Tā zhàn zài tái xià, děng zhe shàng tái.
    He stood offstage, waiting to go on.
  • 台下。
    Zhè ge wèn tí lái zì tái xià de tí wèn.
    This question came from the audience.

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.

台táistage
下xiàbelow

台 “stage” and 下 “below” mean the area below the stage.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →

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 →
Appears in
Dance & Performance

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