下海
xià hǎi
Pinyin

Definition

下海
 - 
xià hǎi
  1. to go out to sea
  2. to enter the sea (to swim etc)
  3. (fig.) to take the plunge (e.g. leave a secure job, or enter prostitution etc)

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

一下
yī xià
  1. 1 (used after a verb) give it a go
  2. 2 to do (sth for a bit to give it a try)
  3. 3 one time
  4. 4 once
  5. 5 in a while
  6. 6 all of a sudden
  7. 7 all at once
上海
Shàng hǎi
  1. 1 Shanghai municipality, central east China, abbr. to 滬|沪[Hù]
下
xià
  1. 1 down
  2. 2 downwards
  3. 3 below
  4. 4 lower
  5. 5 later
  6. 6 next (week etc)
  7. 7 second (of two parts)
  8. 8 to decline
  9. 9 to go down
  10. 10 to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc)
  11. 11 measure word to show the frequency of an action
下来
xià lai
  1. 1 to come down
  2. 2 (completed action marker)
  3. 3 (after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.)
  4. 4 (indicates continuation from the past towards us)
  5. 5 to be harvested (of crops)
  6. 6 to be over (of a period of time)
  7. 7 to go among the masses (said of leaders)
下午
xià wǔ
  1. 1 afternoon
  2. 2 CL:個|个[gè]
  3. 3 p.m.
下去
xià qù
  1. 1 to go down
  2. 2 to descend
  3. 3 to go on
  4. 4 to continue
  5. 5 (of a servant) to withdraw
下载
xià zǎi
  1. 1 to download
  2. 2 also pr. [xià zài]
下雨
xià yǔ
  1. 1 to rain
天下
tiān xià
  1. 1 land under heaven
  2. 2 the whole world
  3. 3 the whole of China
  4. 4 realm
  5. 5 rule
一下子
yī xià zi
  1. 1 in a short while
  2. 2 all at once
  3. 3 all of a sudden
上下
shàng xià
  1. 1 up and down
  2. 2 top and bottom
  3. 3 old and new
  4. 4 length
  5. 5 about
上海市
Shàng hǎi shì
  1. 1 Shanghai municipality in southeast China, abbr. 滬|沪
下半年
xià bàn nián
  1. 1 second half of the year
下场
xià chǎng
  1. 1 to leave (the stage, an exam room, the playing field etc)
  2. 2 to take part in some activity
  3. 3 to take an examination (in the imperial examination system)
下属
xià shǔ
  1. 1 subordinate
  2. 2 underling
下山
xià shān
  1. 1 (of the sun) to set
下巴
xià ba
  1. 1 chin
  2. 2 CL:個|个[gè]
下厨
xià chú
  1. 1 to go to the kitchen (to prepare a meal)
  2. 2 to cook
下手
xià shǒu
  1. 1 to start
  2. 2 to put one's hand to
  3. 3 to set about
  4. 4 the seat to the right of the main guest
下滑
xià huá
  1. 1 sliding
  2. 2 slide

Idioms (20)

三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
  1. 1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
  1. 1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
  2. 2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂，下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
  1. 1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策，下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
  1. 1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
  1. 1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
  3. 3 sandwich generation
上梁不正下梁歪
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
  1. 1 lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
  1. 1 out of breath (idiom)
  2. 2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
  1. 1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
  1. 1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
  1. 1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
干打雷，不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
  1. 1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
  2. 2 a lot of noise but no action
人不可貌相，海水不可斗量
rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng
  1. 1 you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
  1. 1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
侯门似海
hóu mén sì hǎi
  1. 1 lit. the gate of a noble house is like the sea
  2. 2 there is a wide gap between the nobility and the common people (idiom)
先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
  1. 1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.
八仙过海，各显神通
Bā xiān guò hǎi , gè xiǎn shén tōng
  1. 1 lit. the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each showing his own special talent (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. (of each individual in a group) to give full play to one's unique capabilities
兵临城下
bīng lín chéng xià
  1. 1 soldiers at the city walls (idiom); fig. at a critical juncture
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
  1. 1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
  2. 2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
包打天下
bāo dǎ tiān xià
  1. 1 to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
  2. 2 not allow anyone else to have a look in
名扬四海
míng yáng sì hǎi
  1. 1 to become known far and wide (idiom)
  2. 2 famous

Sample Sentences

嗨，还不是响应国家号召下海经商，自主创业去了。
hāi ，háibùshì xiǎngyìng guójiā hàozhào xiàhǎi jīngshāng ，zìzhǔ chuàngyè qù le 。
Hey, I've responded to the government calls to take up trade and set up my own business.
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又来了，你看，每次这种SUV汽车广告里都要有只狗，然后就是上山下海，草原嬉笑。
yòu lái le ，nǐ kàn ，měicì zhèzhǒng SUV qìchē guǎnggào lǐ dōuyào yǒu zhī gǒu ，ránhòu jiù shì shàng shān xià hǎi ，cǎoyuán xīxiào 。
Here we go again! Look, in every SUV commercial they always have a dog, and then they go on a daytrip and there are scenes of them having fun in grassy meadows.
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流行语嘛，就是流行一阵子，有时代特色。用的人太多就用滥了，自然会有更“给力”的词来代替它。就像改革开放初期说的“下海”。现在你改行了，创业了，还说“下海”的话，别人肯定要笑你老土。
liúxíngyǔ ma ，jiùshì liúxíng yīzhènzi ，yǒu shídài tèsè 。yòng de rén tài duō jiù yòng làn le ，zìrán huì yǒu gèng “gěilì ”de cí lái dàitì tā 。jiù xiàng gǎigé kāifàng chūqī shuō de “xiàhǎi ”。xiànzài nǐ gǎiháng le ，chuàngyè le ，hái shuō “xiàhǎi ”dehuà ，biérén kěndìng yào xiào nǐ lǎotǔ 。
It's popular slang. It'll only be popular for a little while. It's characteristic of the times. If too many people use it, it'll get old and naturally there'll be a new, more 'geili' word to use in its place. It's like when right after the opening and reform, people said 'to jump into the ocean'. Now, if someone changes occupations or starts a business and they still stay 'to jump into the ocean', other people will definitely laugh at them for being so old and uncool.
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温州人走街串巷卖东西的时候，其他地方的人都还在做梦呢！别人不屑做的小生意，温州人就捡来做。别人还在打铁饭碗的主意，温州人就动起了下海的脑筋。要我说，温州人跟犹太人绝对有的一拼。
Wēnzhōurén zǒujiēchuànxiàng mài dōngxi de shíhou ，qítā dìfang de rén dōu hái zài zuòmèng ne ！biérén bùxiè zuò de xiǎo shēngyi ，Wēnzhōurén jiù jiǎnlái zuò 。biérén hái zài dǎ tiěfànwǎn de zhǔyi ，Wēnzhōurén jiù dòng qǐ le xiàhǎi de nǎojīn 。yào wǒ shuō ，Wēnzhōurén gēn Yóutàirén juéduì yǒudeyīpīn 。
When Wenzhounese are out and about selling their things, people from other places are still dreaming! The petty trade that other people disdain, Wenzhounese are more than willing to do. Everyone else is still stuck on the idea of the 'iron rice bowl', yet Wenzhounese are out there using their brains and going into business. I'd say Wenzhounese are definitely right up there with the Jews.
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没错，没错。中国人说的龙大部分是金色的，有着骆驼的头，鹿的角，兔子的眼睛，牛的耳朵，蛇的脖子和身体，鱼的鳞片，老虎的脚掌和鹰的爪子。虽然身上没有翅膀，可是也会飞，能上天下海，还能变成各种样子，是中国古代神话中具有超能力的生物，大多数时候代表着吉祥。
méicuò ，méicuò 。zhōngguórén shuō de lóng dàbùfen shì jīnsè de ，yǒu zhe luòtuo de tóu ，lù de jiǎo ，tùzi de yǎnjing ，niú de ěrduo ，shé de bózi hé shēntǐ ，yú de línpiàn ，lǎohǔ de jiǎozhǎng hé yīng de zhuǎzi 。suīrán shēnshang méiyǒu chìbǎng ，kěshì yě huì fēi ，néng shàngtiānxiàhǎi ，hái néng biànchéng gèzhǒng yàngzi ，shì zhōngguógǔdàishénhuà zhōng jùyǒu chāonénglì de shēngwù ，dàduōshùshíhou dàibiǎo zhe jíxiáng 。
That's right. Chinese dragons are generally golden, with the head of a camel, the body of a deer, the eyes of a rabbit, the ears of a bull, the neck and body of a snake, the scales of a fish, the paws of a tiger and an eagle's claws. Although it doesn't have wings, it can fly. It can also go undersea, and can change its appearance. It's a super-powerful creature in ancient myths. Usually, it represents good fortune.
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