How to Write 坠 (zhuì) — Meaning “fall / drop / pendant”

Imagine a person (人) standing on top of a cliff (阝) and then dropping down to the dirt (土) below. This picture of someone falling from a height to the earth helps you recall both the shape and the meaning 'fall'.

Write the left ear 阝 first, narrow and tall. Then add the person 人, keeping it compact and slanted so it fits under the ear's curve. Finally write the bottom 土 with its vertical stroke aligning with the center of the top part—common mistakes are making the 人 too wide or the 土 off-center.

圣 (shèng) has a top part 又 (hand) instead of 阝+人, and means 'holy'. 圤 is a rare character that looks like 土 with a dot on top, while 坠 always has the full 队 structure (ear and person) above 土. Visually, 坠 is taller and more complex than both.

坠 appears in words like 坠落 (zhuì luò, to fall heavily, e.g., an airplane) and 下坠 (xià zhuì, to drop or sink, like a feeling in your stomach). It also appears in 坠子 (zhuì zi), which means a pendant or earring that hangs down. Though not in HSK, you see it in news and everyday conversation about falling objects.

Common words containing 坠 include: 坠落 (zhuì luò) — fall / drop / plunge; 下坠 (xià zhuì) — to fall; to drop; to plummet; 坠子 (zhuì zi) — pendant / earring.