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跪下 (guì xia) — kneel down

Definition

A verb-object compound meaning 'kneel down' — a single action verb. Unlike separable verbs with inserted objects, 跪下 is used as a fixed unit to describe the action of dropping to one's knees.

verb
kneel down

Examples

  • 跪下。
    Tā màn màn dì guì xia le.
    He slowly knelt down.
  • 跪下。
    Qǐng guì xia.
    Please kneel down.
  • 跪下。
    Tā guì xia qí qiú yuán liàng.
    He knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

跪guìkneel
下xiàdown

跪 means to kneel and 下 indicates downward movement, so the word means to kneel down.

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
危
危wēi跪guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跪 pairs 足 (foot) with 危, whose shape can be seen as a person kneeling on the ground.

Open 跪 →

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
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