Meaning of 停下
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to stop
How to use 停下
停下 means to stop an action or movement, and it often takes 来 to show the stop is complete. You can use it for people, cars, machines, or activities like talking and working. Example: 他停下来看手机。(Tā tíng xiàlái kàn shǒujī.) He stopped to look at his phone.
停 (tíng) has the person radical 亻 next to 亭, a pavilion where a traveler pauses to rest. Add 下 (xia), which shows motion settling down, and you get a person coming to a stop.
Common mistake: Learners often say 停下 when they mean to quit a habit for good, but that idea usually calls for 停止 (tíngzhǐ) in formal speech or 不再 (bú zài) in casual speech. Also note that 下 here is usually unstressed, so it sounds like tíngxia, not a full fourth tone.
停下 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.
停 tíng · to stop · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
下 xià · down · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 停下.
| 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 |
| 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] |
| 留下 | liúxia | to leave behind; to stay behind |
| 放下 | fàngxia | to lay down; to put down; to let go of; to relinquish; to set aside |
Questions about 停下
What does 停下 mean?
停下 (tíngxia) means "to stop".
How do you write 停下?
停下 is made of 2 characters: 停 (11 strokes), 下 (3 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 停下 an HSK word?
Yes. 停下 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 停下 and 停止?
停下 is everyday and describes coming to a stop at a moment, often physically. 停止 (tíngzhǐ) is more formal and is used for stopping activities, operations, or policies, such as 停止营业 (stop doing business).
Can I put an object after 停下?
Yes, you can say 停下手里的工作 (stop the work in your hands) or 把车停下 (stop the car). With 来, the object usually goes between: 停下手来 is possible, but 停下来 alone is most common.