下马 (xià mǎ) — to dismount from a horse; (figurative) to discontinue, to abandon (a project or scheme)
Definition
Literally 'dismount from a horse'; in modern use it means a high-level decision to abandon or shut down a project or initiative. Often used for official, large-scale cancellations rather than small plans.
verb
to dismount from a horse(figurative) to discontinueto abandon (a project or scheme)
Examples
- ，。Tā gāng xià le mǎ, jiù tīng dào yǒu rén jiào tā.He had just dismounted when he heard someone calling him.
- 。Nà ge dà xíng xiàng mù yīn wèi zī jīn wèn tí zuì zhōng xià le mǎ.That large-scale project was eventually discontinued due to funding problems.
- 下马。Tā men jué dìng ràng zhè ge jì huà xià mǎ.They decided to abandon this plan.
Appears in
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