Meaning of 下课
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to finish class
- to get out of class
- (fig.) (esp. of a sports coach) to be dismissed
- to be fired
How to use 下课
下课 is the everyday word for class ending, used by teachers and students alike. Teachers often say it as a short announcement, and you will hear 下课以后 (xiàkè yǐhòu) for after class. Example: 我们十二点下课。 (Wǒmen shí'èr diǎn xiàkè.) We get out of class at twelve.
下 (xià) means down or to leave, and 课 (kè) means class. When class goes down and ends, you 下课 and leave the room.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 完课 or 课完了 for class is over, but the natural phrase is 下课 or 下课了 (xiàkè le). Also note the tone pattern is fourth plus fourth, xià kè, so do not let 课 drift to a neutral tone.
下课 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
下 xià · down · 3 strokes
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- 3
课 kè · subject · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 下课.
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon; p.m. |
| 下车 | xià chē | to get off or out of (a bus, train, car etc) |
| 楼下 | lóu xià | downstairs |
| 下班 | xiàbān | to finish work; to get off work; next service (train, bus etc) |
| 下雨 | xià yǔ | to rain |
| 上课 | shàngkè | to go to class; to attend class |
| 下边 | xiàbian | under; the underside |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook |
| 课文 | kèwén | text |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
Questions about 下课
What does 下课 mean?
下课 (xiàkè) means "to finish class; to get out of class".
How do you write 下课?
下课 is made of 2 characters: 下 (3 strokes), 课 (10 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 下课 an HSK word?
Yes. 下课 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 下课 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 下课 is written 下課.
What is the opposite of 下课?
The opposite is 上课 (shàngkè), which means to start class or to attend class. The same 上 and 下 pairing appears in 上班 (shàngbān) and 下班 (xiàbān) for going to and getting off work.
Why do Chinese sports fans shout 下课 at a coach?
In sports talk 下课 can mean a coach is dismissed or fired. Fans chant it when they want a coach removed, like saying the coach's class is over.