Definitions

(adjective) low; below
(verb) to lower; to hang down

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Phonetic:

About

The character "低", meaning low, originates from the combination of the human radical 亻, derived from 人 (person), and the component 氐, which historically conveyed notions of a base or foundation and contributed to its pronunciation. This structural formation evokes the image of a person in a lowered or bowing posture, directly aligning with its initial reference to physical lowness in height or elevation. Over time, while maintaining this fundamental association, the character's semantic scope broadened to include abstract qualities such as humility, inferior rank, diminished value, or soft auditory pitch, illustrating a natural extension from concrete to figurative usage without altering its essential composition.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

下了头。

Tā dī xià le tóu.

He lowered his head.

今天气温很

Jīntiān qìwēn hěn dī.

The temperature is very low today.

着头走路。

Tā dī zhe tóu zǒulù.

He walks with his head lowered.

请降你的音量。

Qǐng jiàngdī nǐ de yīnliàng.

Please lower your volume.

这个书架太了。

Zhège shūjià tài dī le.

This bookshelf is too low.

如果价格,我就买。

Rúguǒ jiàgé dī, wǒ jiù mǎi.

If the price is low, I will buy it.

飞机降高度准备降落。

Fēijī jiàngdī gāodù zhǔnbèi jiàngluò.

The plane is reducing its altitude to prepare for landing.

收入家庭需要帮助。

Dī shōurù jiātíng xūyào bāngzhù.

Low-income families need assistance.