倒 dǎo collapse
collapse; to fall; topples; to invert; to pour out
dào (upside down; to pour) and dǎo (to fall over) - 倒车 dàochē reverse, 摔倒 shuāidǎo fall down
How to remember 倒: 亻 person + 到 arrive = collapse. A person climbs on a chair to hang the banner, and when the guests arrive early, the old chair starts to collapse under him.
Component breakdown
倒 = 亻 person + 到 arrive
- 亻 person
- 到 arrive
- 至 until
- 刂 knife
A person climbs on a chair to hang the banner, and when the guests arrive early, the old chair starts to collapse under him.
How it is used
- Two readings. dǎo = to fall/topple/collapse - 树倒了 (shù dǎo le) the tree fell, 倒闭 (dǎobì) go bankrupt.
- dào = to reverse/pour/invert - 倒车 (dào chē) reverse a car, 倒水 (dào shuǐ) pour water, 倒计时 (dàojìshí) countdown.
- As an adverb (dào) it flags something contrary to expectation: 倒是 (dàoshì) / 反倒 (fǎndào) 'on the contrary, actually.'
Words with 倒
- 倒是dàoshìcontrary to what one might expectHSK 6
- 倒车dǎochēto change buses, trains etcHSK 6
- 倒闭dǎobìto go bankruptHSK 6
- 倒数dàoshǔto count backwards (from 10 down to 0)HSK 7
- 倒计时dàojìshíto count downHSK 7
- 压倒yādǎoto overwhelmHSK 7
- 反倒fǎndàobut on the contraryHSK 7
- 打倒dǎdǎoto overthrowHSK 7
- 倒塌dǎotāto collapse (of building)HSK 8
- 倒退dàotuìto fall backHSK 8
- 倒霉dǎoméito have bad luckHSK 8
- 倾倒qīngdǎoto topple overHSK 8
- 颠倒diāndǎoto turn upside downHSK 9
- 颠倒黑白diāndǎo-hēibáiliterally to invert black and white (idiom)HSK 9
Example sentences
- 箱子倒了。 Xiāngzi dǎo le.The box fell.
- 他突然摔倒了。 Tā tūrán shuāidǎo le.All of a sudden, he fell down.