Meaning of 下边
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- under
- the underside
- below
How to use 下边
下边 is a place word. It often follows a noun to say where something is, or follows 在 (zài) to mean "underneath." Example: 猫在桌子下边。 (Māo zài zhuōzi xiàbian.) The cat is under the table.
下 (xià) looks like a line with a mark hanging below it, so it points down. Add 边 (biān, side) and you get "the down side," which means below or underneath.
Common mistake: Learners often say 在下边桌子 when they mean "under the table." In Chinese the object comes first and the place word comes after it, so the correct form is 在桌子下边. Also, 边 is usually light and toneless here (xiàbian), not a full first tone.
下边 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
边 biān · side · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 下边.
| 那边 | nàbiān | over there; yonder |
| 这边 | zhèbiān | this side; here |
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon; p.m. |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | side; adjacent place |
| 下车 | xià chē | to get off or out of (a bus, train, car etc) |
| 左边 | zuǒbian | left; the left side |
| 楼下 | lóu xià | downstairs |
| 下班 | xiàbān | to finish work; to get off work; next service (train, bus etc) |
| 右边 | yòubian | right side; right, to the right |
Questions about 下边
What does 下边 mean?
下边 (xiàbian) means "under; the underside" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 下边?
下边 is made of 2 characters: 下 (3 strokes), 边 (5 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 下边 an HSK word?
Yes. 下边 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 下边 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 下边 is written 下邊.
What is the difference between 下边 and 下面?
They mean the same thing and are usually interchangeable. 下面 (xiàmian) is a little more common in writing and can also mean "next" or "following," as in 下面我们看一下 (Next, let's take a look).
What is the opposite of 下边?
The opposite is 上边 (shàngbian), meaning above or on top. For example, 书在桌子上边 (The book is on the table) and 鞋在桌子下边 (The shoes are under the table).