Definitions

diē (verb) to fall; to tumble; to trip
diē (verb) to drop (of prices, temperature etc)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The character "跌" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the radical "足", denoting foot or movement, and the component "失", which provides phonetic guidance while semantically implying loss, together conveying the idea of stumbling or falling from a loss of footing. Originally describing physical accidents like tripping or tumbling, its meaning broadened over time to include metaphorical declines, such as in financial markets or general decreases, without any significant alteration to its structural composition. This semantic expansion reflects how the character's inherent logic, linking bodily motion with the concept of loss, allowed it to adapt to both literal and figurative contexts while maintaining a consistent written form.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他不小心倒了。

Tā bù xiǎo xīn diē dǎo le.

He accidentally fell down.

今天股票下了。

Jīn tiān gǔ piào xià diē le.

Today stocks fell.

他不幸伤了腿。

Tā bù xìng diē shāng le tuǐ.

He unfortunately injured his leg from a fall.

因为路滑,他倒了。

Yīn wèi lù huá, tā diē dǎo le.

Because the road was slippery, he fell down.

房价近期持续下

Fáng jià jìn qí chí xù xià diē.

Housing prices have been continuously falling recently.

他的成绩到了谷底。

Tā de chéng jì diē dào le gǔ dǐ.

His grades fell to the bottom.

尽管政府采取了措施,但失业率仍然下

Jǐn guǎn zhèng fǔ cǎi qǔ le cuò shī, dàn shī yè lǜ réng rán xià diē.

Although the government took measures, the unemployment rate still fell.

由于市场供需失衡,原油价格暴

Yóu yú shì chǎng gōng xū shī héng, yuán yóu jià gé bào diē.

Due to imbalance between market supply and demand, crude oil prices plummeted.