Meaning of 低
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- low
- beneath
- to lower (one's head)
- to let droop
- to hang down
- to incline
How to use 低
低 describes things that are low in height, level, price, or sound, and as a verb it means to lower or bow something, often the head. It pairs naturally with words like 价格 (jiàgé) or 声音 (shēngyīn). Example: 这里的价格很低。(Zhèlǐ de jiàgé hěn dī.) The prices here are very low.
低 has the person radical 亻 on the left and 氐 (dǐ) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture a person 亻 bending down toward the dot at the bottom of 氐, getting low to the ground.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 低 (dī) with 底 (dǐ, bottom) because they share the 氐 part and sound alike. 低 has the person radical and means low, while 底 has the shelter radical 广 and means the bottom of something, as in 海底 (hǎidǐ, seabed). Also do not drop the small dot under 氐 in either character.
低 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.
低 dī · low · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 低.
| 降低 | jiàngdī | to reduce; to lower; to bring down |
| 低于 | dīyú | to be lower than |
| 低头 | dītóu | to bow the head; to yield |
| 低温 | dīwēn | low temperature |
| 低调 | dīdiào | low pitch; quiet (voice) |
| 低估 | dīgū | to underestimate; to underrate |
| 低下 | dīxià | low status; lowly |
| 高低 | gāodī | height; level; (music) pitch; relative superiority |
| 低谷 | dīgǔ | valley; trough (as opposed to peaks) |
| 低价 | dījià | low price |
| 低迷 | dīmí | blurred (landscape etc); low (spirits) |
| 低碳 | dītàn | (attributive) low-carbon; low-carb (diet) |
Questions about 低
What does 低 mean?
低 (dī) means "low; beneath" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 低?
低 is made of 1 character: 低 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 低 an HSK word?
Yes. 低 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 低 and 矮?
矮 (ǎi) is used for the height of people, animals, and short objects like trees or walls, as in 他很矮 (he is short). 低 covers abstract levels such as prices, temperature, grades, and voice, and also physical position. You say 温度很低, not 温度很矮.
What does 低调 mean when describing a person?
In everyday speech 低调 (dīdiào) means modest or keeping a low profile, someone who does not show off. For example, 他很有钱，但是很低调 means he is rich but keeps a low profile. Its opposite is 高调 (gāodiào).