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接下来 (jiē xià lái) — to take over, to accept (a task, responsibility, position, etc.); next, then, afterwards (used as a temporal connective)

Definition

This word covers two senses: as a verb, 'to take over (a task/role)'; as a connective, 'next / then' linking sequence in time or speech. The connective sense is the common one in writing and narration.

verb
to take overto accept (a task, responsibility, position, etc.)nextthenafterwards (used as a temporal connective)

Examples

  • 接下来。
    jiē xià lái Wǒ men yào tǎo lùn xià yí gè yì tí.
    Next, we need to discuss the next agenda item.
  • 接下来。
    Tā jiē xià lái le zhè xiàng jiān jù de rèn wu.
    He took over this arduous task.
  • ，接下来。
    Nǐ kàn wán zhè yì zhāng, jiē xià lái jiù gāi kàn dì sān zhāng le.
    After you finish reading this chapter, next you should read chapter three.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

接jiētake
下来down-come
下xiàdown来láicome
偏正Modifier + head

接 means take and 下来 adds a sense of coming to the next point, so together they express taking over or moving on.

Characters in this word

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
妾
妾qiè接jiē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, matching the sense of receiving something in the hand, while 妾 gives the character its sound.

Open 接 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →
Appears in
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