坠

墜

zhuì

土 + 队

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

zhuì to fall; to drop; to weigh down

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 队 represents the sound. Simplified form of 墜.

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 队

About

坠 is the simplified form of 墜, a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical 土 (earth, ground) with the phonetic component 队. Its core meaning is to fall heavily, drop, or plummet. From the physical action, the sense broadened to objects that hang down, such as a pendant. Metaphorically, it describes a sharp decline in status, a slide into misfortune, or structural collapse.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

苹果从树上坠落。

Píngguǒ cóng shù shàng zhuìluò.

The apple fell from the tree.

一颗流星坠入夜空。

Yī kē liúxīng zhuìrù yèkōng.

A meteor fell into the night sky.

他的飞机模型坠毁了。

Tā de fēijī móxíng zhuìhuǐ le.

His model airplane crashed.

水晶吊灯从天花板坠落。

Shuǐjīng diàodēng cóng tiānhuābǎn zhuìluò.

The crystal chandelier fell from the ceiling.

他不慎坠入了冰冷的湖中。

Tā bùshèn zhuìrùle bīnglěng de hú zhōng.

He accidentally fell into the icy lake.

梦想破灭，他的心不断下坠。

Mèngxiǎng pòmiè, tā de xīn bùduàn xià zhuì.

With his dream shattered, his heart kept sinking.

这场空难的坠机原因正在调查。

Zhè chǎng kōngnàn de zhuìjī yuányīn zhèngzài diàochá.

The cause of this air disaster's crash is under investigation.

她的笑容让我心坠谷底，无比沉重。

Tā de xiàoróng ràng wǒ xīn zhuì gǔdǐ, wúbǐ chénzhòng.

Her smile made my heart sink to the bottom of a valley, unbearably heavy.

Related Characters

Component: 土

坠