When do I use 住 vs 下 after verbs like 停?

Use 停住 to emphasize that something comes to a complete standstill, often with a sense of being stuck or frozen. Use 停下 to emphasize the act of stopping, often with intention to rest or park temporarily.

Can I use 放住 to mean 'fix in place'?

No, 放住 is not a standard collocation in Mandarin. To express 'put something down and secure it', use 放好 or 放稳; to express 'keep it there', use 放着.

What is the difference between 记住 and 记下?

记住 means to commit to memory (fix in mind), while 记下 means to write down or record for reference.

How do I negate these resultative complements?

Use 不住 to indicate failure to hold or stop, e.g., 停不住 (can't stop). Use 不下 to indicate failure to settle or record, e.g., 记不下 (can't write down all).

Easily confusedHSK 5

住 (zhù) vs 下 (xià): fixing in place vs settling down

住 and 下 are both resultative complements that follow verbs, but they convey different final states. 住 indicates that something is held, stopped, or fixed in position, while 下 indicates that something is brought downward, recorded, or settled into a final state. Choose 住 for “hold still/stop” and 下 for “down/record”.

Both 住 and 下 can follow verbs to indicate the result of an action. 住 stresses that something becomes fixed or stationary: 停住 (come to a stop, not moving), 抓住 (catch and hold). 下 stresses the completion of a downward motion or the securing of something: 停下 (stop moving, often temporarily), 记下 (write down). While they can sometimes both follow the same verb (e.g., 停), the nuance differs: 住 implies a lasting state of fixation, while 下 implies a completed action that may be temporary or procedural.

Quando usare ciascuno

住zhù

fix/stop (hold)

Use 住 to indicate that the subject or object is held, fixed, or stopped in place, preventing movement or change. Common with verbs like 停 (stop), 抓 (grab), 记 (remember), 守 (guard).

住 often implies a lasting or permanent state of fixation, such as 记住 (remember permanently) vs 记下 (note down).

下xià

down/settle

Use 下 to indicate a downward motion or the result of securing or recording something. Common with verbs like 停 (stop), 记 (record), 放 (put down), 拿 (take).

下 can imply a temporary or procedural completion, such as 停下 (stop for now) vs 停住 (dead stop).

In sintesi

	住	下
Core meaning	Fixation / hold still	Downward motion / settle
Common collocation with 停	停住 – come to a full stop (dead stop)	停下 – stop pulling over / stop temporarily
Common collocation with 记	记住 – remember (fix in mind)	记下 – write down / take note
Negation	不住 indicates failure to hold/stop (e.g., 停不住 can't stop)	不下 indicates failure to settle/record (e.g., 记不下 can't write down all)
Temporality	Often implies a lasting state	Often implies a completed action

Esempi

住
车突然停住了。
Chē tū rán tíng zhù le.
The car stopped suddenly.
停住 emphasizes the car became completely stationary.
下
司机在路边停下了车。
Sī jī zài lù biān tíng xià le chē.
The driver pulled the car over by the roadside.
停下 emphasizes the action of stopping and settling.
住
请记住这个号码。
Qǐng jì zhù zhè ge hào mǎ.
Please remember this number.
记住 means to commit to memory.
下
请记下这个号码。
Qǐng jì xià zhè ge hào mǎ.
Please write down this number.
记下 means to record in writing.
住
他抓住了我的手。
Tā zhuā zhù le wǒ de shǒu.
He grabbed my hand (and held it).
下
他们拿下了那座山。
Tā men ná xià le nà zuò shān.
They captured that mountain.

Errori comuni

Using 住 after 放 to mean 'put down and hold' (放住 is not standard). Use 放着 or 放下来 instead.
Using 下 for 'remember' in the sense of memorizing; that requires 记住.
Using 住 after 拿 to mean 'take down' (拿住 means 'hold onto', not 'take down'). Use 拿下.
Confusing 停住 (dead stop) with 停下 (stop to rest); using the wrong one can change the intended meaning.

FAQ

When do I use 住 vs 下 after verbs like 停?: Use 停住 to emphasize that something comes to a complete standstill, often with a sense of being stuck or frozen. Use 停下 to emphasize the act of stopping, often with intention to rest or park temporarily.
Can I use 放住 to mean 'fix in place'?: No, 放住 is not a standard collocation in Mandarin. To express 'put something down and secure it', use 放好 or 放稳; to express 'keep it there', use 放着.
What is the difference between 记住 and 记下?: 记住 means to commit to memory (fix in mind), while 记下 means to write down or record for reference.
How do I negate these resultative complements?: Use 不住 to indicate failure to hold or stop, e.g., 停不住 (can't stop). Use 不下 to indicate failure to settle or record, e.g., 记不下 (can't write down all).