Chinese Character: 降
1. Character Basics
Radical: 阝/左耳旁 (zuǒ ěr páng)
Stroke Count: 8
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: jiàng (fourth tone) or xiáng (second tone)
3. Meaning
jiàng: to descend, to drop, to fall, to lower
xiáng: to surrender, to submit, to yield
4. Common Words
- 下降 (xià jiàng) - to下降, to decrease (jiàng)
- 降低 (jiàng dī) - to lower, to reduce (jiàng)
- 降落 (jiàng luò) - to land, to descend (jiàng)
- 投降 (tóu xiáng) - to surrender, to give up (xiáng)
- 降服 (xiáng fú) - to subdue, to bring under control (xiáng)
- 降价 (jiàng jià) - to reduce price, price reduction (jiàng)
5. Grammar & Usage
降 is a多音字 (duō yīn zì), meaning it has multiple pronunciations. The two main pronunciations are jiàng (fourth tone) and xiáng (second tone), each with distinct meanings.
When pronounced jiàng, it is primarily used as a verb meaning "to descend," "to drop," or "to lower." It is often used in contexts related to physical movement downward, such as prices decreasing, temperatures dropping, or objects falling. For example, 温度下降了 (Wēn dù xià jiàng le) means "The temperature has dropped."
When pronounced xiáng, it is used as a verb meaning "to surrender," "to submit," or "to yield." This pronunciation is commonly used in military or competitive contexts, as well as in situations where control is given up. For example, 敌人投降了 (Dí rén tóu xiáng le) means "The enemy has surrendered."
降 can also be used in compound words where its meaning is extended, such as 降临 (jiàng lín), which means "to come," "to arrive," or "to descend upon," often with a sense of something important or extraordinary happening.
6. Cultural Background
The character 降 has significant cultural and historical connotations in Chinese civilization. In ancient times, it was often used in relation to natural phenomena, such as the rising and setting of the sun, the changing of seasons, and the falling of rain or snow.
In Chinese philosophy, particularly in Daoism, the concept of 降 (jiàng) is often associated with the idea of balance and harmony in nature. The descending movement is seen as a necessary counterpart to ascending movement, creating a natural cycle of change.
The pronunciation xiáng (surrender) has played an important role in Chinese military history and strategy. Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" discusses the importance of knowing when to fight and when to seek surrender terms, emphasizing wisdom over brute force.
The character 降 is composed of 阝 (left ear radical, related to mountains or place) and 夅 (xiáng, which itself means to submit or surrender). This combination is thought to represent the idea of descending from a height or submitting to authority, reflecting both pronunciations and meanings of the character.
7. Example Sentence
句子 (jù zi - jiàng pronunciation): 秋天到了，温度开始下降。
Pronunciation (pīn yīn): Qiū tiān dào le, wēn dù kāi shǐ xià jiàng.
Translation (fān yì): Autumn has arrived, and the temperature is starting to drop.
句子 (jù zi - xiáng pronunciation): 在士兵们的猛烈攻击下，敌人最终投降了。
Pronunciation (pīn yīn): Zài shì bīng men de měng liè gōng jī xià, dí rén zuì zhōng tóu xiáng le.
Translation (fān yì): Under the soldiers' fierce attack, the enemy finally surrendered.
8. Memory Tips
The character 降 is composed of 阝 (left ear radical) on the left and 夅 on the right. The left ear radical is often related to mountains or places, while the right part 夅 itself means to submit or surrender.
For the pronunciation jiàng (to descend), you can remember the character by thinking of something descending from a mountain (indicated by the left ear radical). Imagine something falling down from a high place.
For the pronunciation xiáng (to surrender), focus on the right part 夅, which sounds similar to "降" in this pronunciation and means to submit. You can think of someone raising their hands in surrender (a gesture that goes down from a raised position).