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下降 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
下降xiàjiàngto declineHSK 4, unknown, 11 strokes, rank #3833, Medium
下降xiàjiàngto dropHSK 4, unknown, 11 strokes, rank #3833, Medium
下降xiàjiàngto fallHSK 4, unknown, 11 strokes, rank #3833, Medium
下降xiàjiàngto go downHSK 4, unknown, 11 strokes, rank #3833, Medium
下降xiàjiàngto decreaseHSK 4, unknown, 11 strokes, rank #3833, Medium
xiàjiàng(xia4jiang4)xia jiang T4
  1. 1to decline
  2. 2to drop
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March 24, 2026

下降xiàjiàng(xia4jiang4)

下降 (xiàjiàng) means to decline, drop, or fall. It is commonly used to describe a decrease in quantity, quality, or altitude. This term can apply to various contexts such as economics, emotions, or physical movement, indicating a downward trend or movement.

Strokes11Frequency#3833DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about economic growth often mention 下降 to highlight downturns or negative trends, especially in relation to market performance or public sentiment. This term carries significant weight in policy discussions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person (the character '下', meaning 'down') jumping off a cliff (the character '降', representing 'to fall'). Visualize them shouting 'xia!' as they go down, which helps link the sound of 'xia' with the action of falling down.

Meanings of 下降

xiàjiàng(xia4jiang4)
1to decline
2to drop
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About 下降

下降Simplified
11Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

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Podcast: 下降

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AI Study Notes for 下降

Quick Contrast

降低 (jiàngdī) - use 下降 when referring specifically to a fall or drop, while 降低 emphasizes the act of reducing something to a lower level.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 下降 with 上升 (shàngshēng), which means 'to rise'. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in discussions about statistics or personal performance. Common collocations include 下降趋势 (declining trend) and 下降幅度 (magnitude of decrease).

HSK Study Tips

While 下降 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with other verbs related to movement or change, like 上升 (to rise) and 增加 (to increase). Students should focus on its application in various contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 下降 with 下降的 (xiàjiàng de), mistakenly using it as an adjective. The correct usage should be as a verb, such as '价格下降了' (jiàgé xiàjiàngle) meaning 'the price has dropped'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 下降

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Component Characters

下xiàdown
HSK 13 strokes一
View full entry
降jiàngto drop
HSK 48 strokes阝
View full entry

How to say to decline in Chinese

“to decline” in Chinese is下降xiàjiàng

下降 (xiàjiàng) means to decline, drop, or fall. It is commonly used to describe a decrease in quantity, quality, or altitude. This term can apply to various contexts such as economics, emotions, or physical movement, indicating a downward trend or movement.

When to use 下降

Be careful not to confuse 下降 with 上升 (shàngshēng), which means 'to rise'. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in discussions about statistics or personal performance. Common collocations include 下降趋势 (declining trend) and 下降幅度 (magnitude of decrease).

下降 or something close to it

降低 (jiàngdī) - use 下降 when referring specifically to a fall or drop, while 降低 emphasizes the act of reducing something to a lower level.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 下降 with 下降的 (xiàjiàng de), mistakenly using it as an adjective. The correct usage should be as a verb, such as '价格下降了' (jiàgé xiàjiàngle) meaning 'the price has dropped'.

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下
降

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Frequently Asked Questions about 下降

The opposite is 上升 (shàngshēng), which means 'to rise'.

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