低

Tap the pinyin to hear it

low; beneath; to lower (one's head); to let droop; to hang down; to incline

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

Components 亻氐

low · Heisig RSH #1375

人 person + calling card

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
低平火山口	dī píng huǒ shān kǒu	maar
眼高手低	yǎn gāo shǒu dī	to have high standards but little ability; to be fastidious but incompetent (idiom)
一见高低	yī jiàn gāo dī	lit. to fight it out with sb to see who is best (idiom); fig. to cross swords with; to loc…
低三下四	dī sān xià sì	servile
低音大号	dī yīn dà hào	tuba
高分低能	gāo fēn dī néng	high in score but low in ability (as a result of teaching to the test)
低头族	dī tóu zú	smartphone addicts
高不成低不就	gāo bù chéng dī bù jiù	can't reach the high or accept the low (idiom); not good enough for a high post, but too p…
低开高走	dī kāi gāo zǒu	(finance) (of the price of a security etc) to open lower than the previous closing price b…
低成本	dī chéng běn	low cost; inexpensive
低首下心	dī shǒu xià xīn	to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
低音管	dī yīn guǎn	bassoon
低能儿	dī néng ér	retarded child; moron; idiot
低头	dī tóu	to bow the head; to yield; to give in
低地	dī dì	lowland
低空飞过	dī kōng fēi guò	to just scrape through with a narrow pass (in an exam)
不识高低	bù shí gāo dī	can't recognize tall or short (idiom); doesn't know what's what
低分	dī fēn	low marks; low score
高低	gāo dī	height; level; (music) pitch; relative superiority; propriety; discretion (usu. in the neg…
高高低低	gāo gāo dī dī	high and low; uneven (in height); uneven (of ground)

Characters sharing the sound component 氐 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
氐 sound part	dǐ	the name of an ancient tribe
底	dǐ	bottom, underside; below, underneath
抵	dǐ	to resist; to arrive; mortgage
邸	dǐ	official residence
鸱	chī	kite, horned owl; wine cups
坻	dǐ	islet; river delta, embankment; to stop
胝	zhī	corn, callus
砥	dǐ	whetstone; to polish
柢	dǐ	root, base
牴	dǐ	to butt, to gore; to resist
诋	dǐ	to slander; to condem, to reproach
羝	dī	ram, he-goat
骶	dǐ	coccyx, sacrum
祗	zhī	to revere, to respect, to look up to