The compound word **卸下 (xièxià)** is formed by combining the character **卸**, which originally depicted a person stopping a cart to unload it and carries the core meaning of "to remove" or "to unload," with the directional character **下**, meaning "down." Together, they create a verb-object structure where 卸 is the action and 下 acts as a complement of direction, specifying that the removal is in a downward or offward direction. Thus, the word literally means "to unload down" or "to take off from a higher position," and it is commonly used both in literal contexts (e.g., unloading cargo) and metaphorical ones (e.g.,卸下包袱, to卸下 a burden or responsibility).