Meaning of 下面
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- below
- under
- next
- the following
- also pr. [xia4 mian5]
- to boil noodles
How to use 下面
下面 marks a location under something, and it also introduces what comes next in a talk or text. 书在桌子下面。(Shū zài zhuōzi xiàmiàn.) The book is under the table. You will also hear 下面我们看第二课 (xiàmiàn wǒmen kàn dì èr kè), meaning "Next, let's look at lesson two."
下 (xià) shows a mark below a line, so it means down or below. 面 (miàn) means face or side, so 下面 is literally the "down side" of something.
Common mistake: Learners often put 下面 before the noun, as in 下面桌子, but the correct order is noun first: 桌子下面 (zhuōzi xiàmiàn). Also, in casual speech the second syllable is often neutral, xiàmian, so do not be confused when you hear it without the fourth tone.
下面 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
面 miàn · face · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 下面.
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet; to see each other |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon; p.m. |
| 下车 | xià chē | to get off or out of (a bus, train, car etc) |
| 面包 | miànbāo | bread |
| 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 |
| 下课 | xiàkè | to finish class; to get out of class |
| 下边 | xiàbian | under; the underside |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
Questions about 下面
What does 下面 mean?
下面 (xiàmiàn) means "below; under" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 下面?
下面 is made of 2 characters: 下 (3 strokes), 面 (9 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 下面 an HSK word?
Yes. 下面 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 下面 and 下边?
They mean the same thing for location and are usually interchangeable. 下边 (xiàbian) sounds a little more colloquial, while 下面 is more common when introducing what comes next in speech or writing.
How can 下面 mean to boil noodles?
Here 下 is a verb meaning to put something into boiling water, and 面 means noodles. So 下面 can mean "cook noodles," as in 我给你下面吃 (wǒ gěi nǐ xià miàn chī), "I'll cook you some noodles." Context tells you which meaning is intended.