How to Write 下 (xià) — Meaning “down; below; next”

Imagine the top horizontal line as a shelf, the vertical line as a person standing, and the dot as a ball falling down below the shelf. This image of something dropping down helps you recall the meaning 'down'.

Write the horizontal stroke first, then the vertical stroke downward from the left side, and finally the dot on the right side below the horizontal. A common mistake is making the dot too low or too far from the vertical; keep it close and just under the horizontal line.

一 has only one horizontal stroke and means 'one'. 丁 has a horizontal line with a vertical hook and means 'nail' or a heavenly stem. 下 adds a dot to the right of the vertical, and it means 'down' or 'below'.

下 is very common in daily words like 下午 (afternoon), 下雨 (to rain), and 下课 (class is over). It is also used for 'next' in time expressions, such as 下次 (next time), showing how it extends from 'down' to 'following'.

Common words containing 下 include: 下课 (xià kè) — to finish class; class is over; 下午 (xià wǔ) — afternoon; 下雨 (xià yǔ) — to rain.