(zhī xià) - under, below, beneath in Mandarin
zhīxiàTraditional: 之下
Translation
under, below, beneath
Word origin
A Classical Chinese frame combining the particle 之 (zhī, roughly the possessive of) with 下 (xià, below).
- Origin
- Classical Chinese
- Root
- 之 (zhī, particle) + 下 (xià, below)
Stroke order
之
下
Examples
，。
With his help we finished the job.
。
There is a bench under the big tree.
，。
Under these circumstances we can only wait.
绩均。
His marks are below the class average.
，。
Under pressure she still kept calm.
之下 (zhī xià) means under or below, and it comes after the noun rather than before it, the way all Mandarin location words do. 大树之下 is under the big tree.
Most of its work is abstract rather than physical: 在...的帮助之下 (with the help of), 在压力之下 (under pressure), 在这种情况之下 (in these circumstances). The whole 在...之下 frame is worth memorising as one shape.
The trap is register. 之下 is written and formal, inherited from Classical Chinese, and in conversation people say 下面 or 底下 instead. Saying 桌子之下 to a friend sounds like quoting a legal document. Use 之下 in essays and set phrases, 下面 when you speak.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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之下: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "之下" (under, below, beneath): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 58.