A2 verb 2 min read

下去

To move from a higher place to a lower place.

xiaqu
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

This word is for moving down. If you are on a hill, you go xià qù to the bottom. It is very easy to use!

You use this when you move away from the speaker to a lower place. It is also used to say 'keep doing something'.

At this level, you will notice xià qù functions as a directional complement. It denotes movement away from the speaker towards a lower point.

Beyond physical movement, it implies the persistence of an action. It is a subtle way to indicate that a state or process is ongoing.

In advanced discourse, xià qù carries a nuance of endurance. It is often used in literary contexts to describe the inevitable progression of time or events.

Mastering this requires understanding the spatial-temporal metaphor. It bridges the gap between physical descent and the abstract concept of 'carrying on' through hardship.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Means to go down.
  • Used as a directional complement.
  • Means to continue an action.
  • Very common in daily conversation.

When you hear xià qù, think of movement that goes away from where you are standing and towards a lower point. It is a fundamental directional complement in Chinese grammar.

You can use it literally, like walking down a hill, or figuratively, like continuing a conversation. It is a very versatile tool for any learner!

The character 下 (xià) has roots in ancient oracle bone script, representing a mark below a horizontal line, clearly indicating 'down'.

去 (qù) historically meant to leave or go away. Together, they formed a compound that emphasizes the vector of movement away from the speaker's current location.

Use xià qù when you are at the top of something and moving down. It is often paired with verbs like zǒu (walk) or pǎo (run).

In a formal setting, it implies a continuation of status or action. In casual speech, it is just as common as saying 'go down' in English.

1. 说下去: To continue speaking. Example: 'Please, tell me more!'

2. 活下去: To survive or keep living. Example: 'We must keep going.'

3. 坐下去: To sit down. Example: 'Please take a seat.'

4. 走下去: To keep walking/persevere. Example: 'Keep moving forward.'

5. 写下去: To continue writing. Example: 'Don't stop, keep writing!'

Pronounced with a fourth tone followed by a neutral tone (or fourth tone depending on regional dialect). It acts as a post-verbal complement.

It follows the pattern: Verb + xià qù. This structure is essential for describing the trajectory of an action.

Fun Fact

The character '下' originated from a line with a mark below it.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /ʃiɑː tɕy/

Sounds like 'she-ah chee'

US /ʃiɑː tɕy/

Similar to UK, focus on the 'y' sound

Common Errors

  • Mixing tones
  • Dropping the 'u' sound
  • Confusing with 'xià qù'

Rhymes With

去 句 具 聚 剧

Difficulty Rating

Reading 1/5

Easy

Writing 2/5

Moderate

Speaking 2/5

Moderate

Listening 1/5

Easy

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

下 去 走

Learn Next

下来 上去 上来

Advanced

延续 坚持

Grammar to Know

Directional Complements

走下去

Resultative Complements

做下去

Verb Patterns

坚持下去

Examples by Level

1

请走下去。

Please walk down.

Verb + complement

2

他下去了。

He went down.

Completed action

3

猫下去了。

The cat went down.

Subject + verb

4

我们下去了。

We went down.

Plural subject

5

快下去了。

Go down quickly.

Imperative

6

他没下去。

He didn't go down.

Negative form

7

你要下去吗？

Do you want to go down?

Question form

8

现在下去。

Go down now.

Time marker

1

请走下去。

2

他下去了。

3

猫下去了。

4

我们下去了。

5

快下去了。

6

他没下去。

7

你要下去吗？

8

现在下去。

1

请说下去。

2

工作做下去了。

3

他坚持下去了。

4

故事讲下去了。

5

日子过下去了。

6

路走下去了。

7

饭吃下去了。

8

歌唱下去了。

1

他决定坚持下去了。

2

这种生活怎么过下去？

3

请继续说下去。

4

他把书读下去了。

5

我们必须走下去。

6

这笔钱花下去了。

7

他没能坚持下去。

8

电影演下去了。

1

无论多难，都要活下去。

2

他把这项事业传承下去了。

3

那段记忆一直留在心中，传下去了。

4

随着时间推移，传统流传下去了。

5

他把愤怒压下去了。

6

这股气势一直保持下去了。

7

声音传下去了。

8

意志传递下去了。

1

他将那份执着延续下去了。

2

这段历史被记录并流传下去了。

3

他把所有的压力都扛下去了。

4

那份爱意在岁月中沉淀下去了。

5

他将信念贯彻下去了。

6

那股热忱一直燃烧下去了。

7

他把重担挑下去了。

8

那种精神传承下去了。

Common Collocations

走下去
说下去
活下去
坚持下去
坐下去
写下去
做下去
传下去
看下去
跑下去

Idioms & Expressions

"说下去"

Continue speaking

请说下去，我听着呢。

neutral

"活下去"

Survive

无论如何都要活下去。

neutral

"走下去"

Persevere/Continue on a path

路还很长，我们要走下去。

neutral

"坚持下去"

Keep holding on

你一定要坚持下去。

neutral

"传下去"

Pass down (tradition/item)

这个故事代代传下去。

neutral

"做下去"

Continue doing

既然开始了，就得做下去。

neutral

Easily Confused

下去 vs 下来

Both are directional

Direction

走下来 vs 走下去

下去 vs 上去

Opposite direction

Up vs Down

走上去 vs 走下去

下去 vs 下

Root character

Verb vs Complement

下楼 vs 走下去

下去 vs 下去

Similar sounds

None

Standard usage

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + Verb + 下去

他跑下去了。

A2

Verb + 下去 (Imperative)

说下去！

B1

Subject + 坚持 + 下去

我会坚持下去。

B2

Subject + 无法 + Verb + 下去

我无法看下去了。

B2

Verb + 不 + 下去

做不下去了。

Word Family

Nouns

下落 whereabouts/descent

Verbs

下降 to descend

Related

下来 opposite direction (towards speaker)

How to Use It

frequency

10

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual

Common Mistakes

Using '下去' for rising → Use '上去'
下去 is strictly for downward or continuation.
Confusing with '下来' → Check direction
下来 is toward the speaker; 下去 is away.
Missing the verb → Verb + 下去
It needs a base verb.
Wrong tone → xià qu
Tone affects meaning.
Overusing in formal writing → Use '继续'
Sometimes '继续' is more academic.

Tips

💡

The Slide Trick

Visualize a playground slide.

💡

Directional Check

Check if the person is moving away.

🌍

Persistence

Used to mean 'keep going' in life.

💡

The Complement Rule

Always follows a verb.

💡

Neutral Tone

Keep the second syllable light.

💡

Don't confuse

Don't mix up with '下来'.

💡

History

Ancient roots.

💡

Flashcards

Use with verbs.

💡

Sentence mining

Find examples in books.

💡

Record yourself

Check your tones.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a slide; you go 'xià' (down) 'qù' (away from me).

Visual Association

A person walking down a path away from you.

Word Web

direction movement continuation

Challenge

Try to use '下去' in three sentences today.

Word Origin

Chinese

Original meaning: To descend and move away

Cultural Context

None

Direct translation is 'go down'.

Used in many motivational songs about 'keeping going'

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At home

  • 走下去
  • 坐下去
  • 拿下去

At school

  • 说下去
  • 写下去
  • 读下去

In sports

  • 跑下去
  • 坚持下去
  • 跳下去

In daily life

  • 活下去
  • 做下去
  • 传下去

Conversation Starters

"你觉得他能坚持下去吗？"

"请继续说下去。"

"我们要不要走下去？"

"这个传统怎么传下去？"

"他为什么下去了？"

Journal Prompts

Describe a time you had to '坚持下去'.

What is a story you want to '传下去'?

Write about a journey where you '走下去'.

How do you '活下去' in hard times?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

下来 is toward you, 下去 is away.

Yes, to indicate continuation.

It is neutral.

Yes, it is a complement.

xià qu.

It is a directional complement.

Yes, if they are moving.

Extremely.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

他走___了。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 下去

He walked down/away.

multiple choice A2

Which means 'continue to speak'?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 说下去

说下去 is the correct phrase.

true false B1

下去 always means to move down physically.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It also means to continue an action.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Matching verbs with meanings.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Subject + Verb + Complement + Particle.

Score: /5

Related Content

This Word in Other Languages

下がる Japanese 내려가다 Korean
Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!