下 (xià) is the verb of downwardness, and it is best learned as the exact mirror image of 上 (shàng). Wherever 上 goes up, boards, and starts, 下 goes down, alights, and finishes: 上车 / 下车, 上课 / 下课, 上班 / 下班. From that spatial core it fans out in ways English does not — Chinese weather falls with 下 (下雨 "rain," 下雪 "snow"), the coming month is the "down" month (下个月), and you put down a chess piece or set down your resolve (下棋, 下决心). Learn the 上/下 pairs together and this whole web falls into place.
Sense 1: go down / get off
The literal core: descending, and getting off a vehicle. 下楼 "go downstairs," 下山 "come down a mountain," 下车 "get off (a bus, train, car)."
到站了，我们该下车了。
dào zhàn le, wǒmen gāi xià chē le
This is our stop — we should get off.
电梯坏了，我们走楼梯下去吧。
diàntī huài le, wǒmen zǒu lóutī xiàqu ba
The elevator's broken — let's take the stairs down.
天都黑了，他们还没下山。
tiān dōu hēi le, tāmen hái méi xià shān
It's already dark and they still haven't come down the mountain.
Sense 2: fall — weather comes down
Precipitation "descends" in Chinese: the verb is 下, and the weather noun follows. 下雨, 下雪, 下冰雹 (hail). This is not optional flavour — it's the only natural way to say it rains.
快下雨了，我们回去吧。
kuài xià yǔ le, wǒmen huíqu ba
It's about to rain — let's head back.
昨天晚上下了一夜的雪。
zuótiān wǎnshang xià le yí yè de xuě
It snowed all night last night.
外面下着大雨，别出去了。
wàimiàn xiàzhe dà yǔ, bié chūqu le
It's pouring outside — don't go out.
Sense 3: finish a scheduled block — 下课, 下班
The "come off / come down from" idea gives you the end of a scheduled activity: 下课 "get out of class," 下班 "get off work," 下线 "log off." These are set two-syllable verbs — the activity is baked in.
我五点下班，六点能到。
wǒ wǔ diǎn xiàbān, liù diǎn néng dào
I get off work at five and can be there by six.
下课以后我们一起去吃饭吧。
xiàkè yǐhòu wǒmen yìqǐ qù chī fàn ba
Let's go eat together after class.
Sense 4: next / coming — 下个月, 下次
Pointing forward in a sequence, 下 is "next": 下次 "next time," 下个月 "next month," 下周 "next week," 下一个 "the next one." (Its opposite here is 上 for "last": 上个月 "last month.")
我们下个月要搬家。
wǒmen xià ge yuè yào bānjiā
We're moving next month.
下次记得早点儿来。
xià cì jìde zǎodiǎnr lái
Next time, remember to come a bit earlier.
Sense 5: put down / set / commit — 下棋, 下决心
A cluster of fixed uses where 下 is "put down / put in place / issue": 下棋 "play chess" (set down pieces), 下决心 / 下定决心 "resolve," 下命令 "give an order," 下单 "place an order."
爷爷每天都在公园下棋。
yéye měi tiān dōu zài gōngyuán xià qí
Grandpa plays chess in the park every day.
我已经下定决心了，谁也劝不动。
wǒ yǐjīng xià dìng juéxīn le, shéi yě quàn bu dòng
I've already made up my mind — no one can talk me out of it.
下 as a directional complement — 坐下, 放下, 说下去
Attached to another verb, 下 (and its compounds 下来 / 下去) points the action downward or gives it a settling / continuing shade. V + 下来 brings something to rest or gets it recorded (坐下来 "sit down," 停下来 "come to a stop," 记下来 "write down"); V + 下去 means carry on (说下去 "go on speaking," 活下去 "survive"), a continuative sense.
累了就坐下来休息一会儿。
lèi le jiù zuò xiàlai xiūxi yíhuìr
If you're tired, sit down and rest for a bit.
请把手机放下，认真听讲。
qǐng bǎ shǒujī fàng xià, rènzhēn tīng jiǎng
Please put your phone down and listen carefully.
你继续说下去，我在听。
nǐ jìxù shuō xiàqu, wǒ zài tīng
Go on, I'm listening.
The 上 / 下 mirror
| 上 (up / on / start) | 下 (down / off / finish) |
|---|---|
| 上车 (get on) | 下车 (get off) |
| 上楼 (go upstairs) | 下楼 (go downstairs) |
| 上课 (start / attend class) | 下课 (finish class) |
| 上班 (start work) | 下班 (finish work) |
| 上个月 (last month) | 下个月 (next month) |
| 上网 (go online) | 下线 (go offline) |
Grammar notes
As a main verb, 下 takes 了 and 过 (下了车, 下过雨). As a directional complement it is one of the most productive elements in the language; the figurative "settle / record / continue" extensions are treated on the figurative 下 / 下来 / 下去 page, and the plain "toward the speaker" logic of 下来 vs 下去 on simple directional complements. The single most useful habit is to memorise the boarding, class, and work pairs as 上/下 twins — see 上 for the other half.
Common Mistakes
1. Swapping 上 and 下 for boarding vs alighting. Getting on is 上车; getting off is 下车.
❌ 到站了，快上车吧。
Wrong verb for getting off — you board with 上车 but alight with 下车.
✅ 到站了，快下车吧。
dào zhàn le, kuài xià chē ba
This is the stop — quick, get off.
2. Calquing "it rains" without 下. Rain and snow fall; the verb 下 is obligatory.
❌ 今天很雨。
Incorrect — 雨 is a noun; it can't take 很. Weather falls with 下: 今天下雨了.
✅ 今天下雨了。
jīntiān xià yǔ le
It's raining today.
3. Making up 下工作 for "get off work." The set word is 下班.
❌ 我五点下工作。
Incorrect — the fixed verb is 下班, not 下工作.
✅ 我五点下班。
wǒ wǔ diǎn xiàbān
I get off work at five.
4. Leaving 下 bare when it needs an object or complement. "I'll get off" isn't a lone 下 — you need 下车, or the directional 下去 / 下来.
❌ 前面到了，我下。
Incomplete — add the object or a directional: 我下车 / 我在前面下去.
✅ 前面到了，我下车。
qiánmiàn dào le, wǒ xià chē
It's coming up ahead — I'll get off.
Key Takeaways
- 下 = downward: go down / get off (下楼, 下车, 下山), and weather falling (下雨, 下雪).
- It also finishes scheduled blocks (下课, 下班) and points forward in a sequence (下个月, 下次).
- Fixed "put down / commit" uses: 下棋, 下决心, 下命令, 下单.
- As a complement it settles (坐下来, 放下, 记下来) or continues (说下去) an action.
- Learn it as the mirror of 上 — 上车/下车, 上课/下课, 上班/下班 come as pairs.
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- 上 (shàng) — go up / board / attend / onHSK 1 — 上 (shàng) means 'go up / get onto' (上山, 上车), but its most useful life is 'attend / do a scheduled activity' — 上班 (go to work), 上课 (have class), 上网 (go online) — none of which is literally 'up'. As a complement it marks attaching or succeeding (穿上, 关上, 考上).