堕 (duò) — to fall; to drop (physically); to sink; to degenerate (morally)
Definition
Literary/formal verb meaning 'to fall' (physically) or 'to sink' (morally into corruption or ruin). Almost always appears in set phrases like 堕落 (degenerate) or 堕胎 (have an abortion), rarely as a standalone verb.
verb
to fallto drop (physically)to sinkto degenerate (morally)
Examples
- 堕。Tā cóng xuán yá shàng duò le xià lái.He fell down from the cliff.
- 。Yí gè rén bù néng yīn wèi shī bài ér duò luò.A person should not degenerate because of failure.
- 。Fǎ lǜ jìn zhǐ fēi fǎ duò tāi.The law prohibits illegal abortion.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 墮; 堕 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
隋
隋suí墮duò
Same sound today
The traditional form 墮 pairs 土 (earth) with 隋 as a sound part; the simplified 堕 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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