堕 (duò) - To fall & to degenerate

堕Tone 4

duò ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

堕 · duò

To fall;

to degenerate;

to sink into depravity or ruin.

To fallto degenerateto sink into depravity or ruin.

Usage highlights

To fall, to degenerateTo miscarry, to have an abortionTo fall into a trapTo sink into depravityFallen angelTo let fall, to throw down

Synonyms

  • 落— to fall, to drop
  • 坠— to fall, to drop
  • 降— to descend, to fall

Antonyms

  • 升— to rise, to ascend
  • 起— to rise, to get up
  • 扬— to raise, to lift up

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The apple fell from the tree (苹果从树上堕下).
  • He fell into depravity (他堕落了).
  • The city fell into enemy hands (城市堕入敌手).
  • A fallen angel (堕天使).

Collocations

  • To fall, to degenerate(堕落)
  • To miscarry, to have an abortion(堕胎)
  • To fall into a trap(堕入陷阱)
  • To sink into depravity(堕入歧途)
  • Fallen angel(堕天使)
  • To let fall, to throw down(堕下)

Idioms

  • Like a flower falling, like jade shattered(堕珥遗簪 - describes the scene of women's ornaments falling)
  • To be misled and not know how to return(堕甑不顾 - to let go of what is already broken and not look back)
  • To fall into the dust(堕入尘埃)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often carries negative connotations of moral decline or physical falling in classical Chinese literature.
  • Used in Buddhist contexts to describe falling from spiritual heights or rebirth in lower realms.
  • The character appears in historical texts describing the fall of dynasties or moral decay of individuals.

FAQ