Meaning of 落
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to fall or drop
- (of the sun) to set
- (of a tide) to go out
- to lower
- to decline or sink
- to lag or fall behind
- to fall onto
- to rest with
- to leave out
- to be missing
- to leave behind or forget to bring
- to lag or fall behind
- colloquial reading for 落[luo4] in certain compounds
How to use 落
落 (luò) is used for things falling, the sun setting, and levels going down, and it appears in many compounds like 落后 (luòhòu) and 降落 (jiàngluò). In speech it is also read là for leaving something behind. Example: 太阳落山了。(Tàiyáng luò shān le.) The sun has set.
落 has the grass radical 艹 on top and 洛 (luò) below, which gives the sound. Picture leaves and grass dropping into the water of 洛 to remember that 落 means to fall.
Common mistake: Learners often read 落 as luò in every case. When it means forgetting something, as in 我把手机落在家里了 (Wǒ bǎ shǒujī là zài jiā li le), it is read là. Also, do not confuse it with 洛 (luò), which has no grass radical and is mostly used in place names like 洛阳.
落 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.
落 luò · to fall or drop · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 落.
| 落后 | luòhòu | to fall behind; to lag (in technology etc) |
| 降落 | jiàngluò | to descend; to land |
| 落实 | luòshí | practical; workable |
| 角落 | jiǎoluò | corner (of a room, courtyard etc); (fig.) remote spot; nook |
| 堕落 | duòluò | to degrade; to degenerate |
| 落下 | luòxia | to fall; to drop |
| 下落 | xiàluò | whereabouts; to drop |
| 失落 | shīluò | to lose (sth); to drop (sth) |
| 落地 | luòdì | to fall to the ground; to be set on the ground; to reach to the ground; (of a baby) to be |
| 脱落 | tuōluò | to drop off; to fall off; (of hair, teeth etc) to fall out; to omit (a character when writ |
| 水落石出 | shuǐluò-shíchū | (lit.) as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom); (fig.) the truth comes to light |
| 冷落 | lěngluò | desolate; unfrequented |
Questions about 落
What does 落 mean?
落 (luò) means "to fall or drop; (of the sun) to set" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 落?
落 is made of 1 character: 落 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 落 an HSK word?
Yes. 落 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 落 (luò) and 掉 (diào)?
Both can mean to fall, but 掉 (diào) is more colloquial and common for small objects dropping, like 杯子掉了. 落 sounds more formal or literary and is preferred for the sun, leaves, planes landing, and abstract declines.
When is 落 read lào?
Lào is a colloquial reading in a few set phrases, such as 落枕 (làozhěn, a stiff neck from sleeping wrong) and 落色 (làoshǎi, to fade in color). These are best learned one by one.