Meaning of 降低
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to reduce; to lower; to bring down
How to use 降低
降低 is a transitive verb, so it usually takes an object like a price, cost, risk, standard, or temperature. It is common in news, business, and everyday talk. Example: 我们要降低成本。(Wǒmen yào jiàngdī chéngběn.) We need to lower costs.
降 (jiàng) means to come down, and 低 (dī) means low, so 降低 is literally "bring down to low." Picture something being lowered until it sits low.
Common mistake: Learners often use 降低 where 下降 (xiàjiàng) fits better. 下降 describes something dropping by itself and usually has no object, as in 温度下降了 (the temperature dropped), while 降低 is something you actively do to an object. Also, 降 here is read jiàng, not xiáng, which means to surrender.
降低 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.
降 jiàng · to drop · 8 strokes
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低 dī · low · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 降低.
| 降落 | jiàngluò | to descend; to land |
| 下降 | xiàjiàng | to decline; to drop |
| 降温 | jiàngwēn | to become cooler; to lower the temperature |
| 降价 | jiàngjià | to cut the price; to drive down the price |
| 低于 | dīyú | to be lower than |
| 低头 | dītóu | to bow the head; to yield |
| 低温 | dīwēn | low temperature |
| 投降 | tóuxiáng | to surrender |
| 降临 | jiànglín | to descend; to arrive |
| 低调 | dīdiào | low pitch; quiet (voice) |
| 低估 | dīgū | to underestimate; to underrate |
| 低下 | dīxià | low status; lowly |
Questions about 降低
What does 降低 mean?
降低 (jiàngdī) means "to reduce; to lower; to bring down" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 降低?
降低 is made of 2 characters: 降 (8 strokes), 低 (7 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 降低 an HSK word?
Yes. 降低 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 降低 be used without an object?
Yes, it sometimes can, as in 价格降低了 (the price went down). But it most often takes an object. If nothing is causing the change, 下降 often sounds more natural.
What is the opposite of 降低?
The usual opposite is 提高 (tígāo), to raise or improve, as in 提高水平 (raise the level). 增加 (zēngjiā), to increase, is also common when talking about amounts.