趴 (pā) - To lie prone & to lie face down

趴Tone 1

pā ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

趴 · pā

To lie prone;

to lie face down;

to crawl;

to bend over;

to sprawl;

also used for certain types of crawling or lying positions.

To lie proneto lie face downto crawl

Usage highlights

Lie proneLie on the stomachCrawl forwardSprawl on the groundBend over the tableTake cover

Synonyms

  • 卧— to lie down (general)
  • 伏— to bend over; to lie prostrate
  • 匍匐— to crawl; to creep

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The child is lying on the floor (趴在地板上).
  • He is crawling forward during the military exercise (在演习中向前趴).
  • The cat is sprawled out on the sofa (猫趴在沙发上).
  • She bent over the desk to read (趴在桌子上看书).

Collocations

  • Lie prone(趴下)
  • Lie on the stomach(趴着)
  • Crawl forward(向前趴)
  • Sprawl on the ground(趴在地上)
  • Bend over the table(趴在桌子上)
  • Take cover(趴倒)

Idioms

  • To be utterly exhausted(趴窝 — originally of a vehicle breaking down, extended to a person collapsing)
  • To be down and out(趴架 — to collapse, fail)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 趴 visually combines 'foot' (足) with 'eight' (八), suggesting a posture where the feet are splayed.
  • It is often used in military or physical training contexts for the command 'hit the deck' or 'take cover' (趴下).
  • In informal contexts, it can describe a state of extreme fatigue or collapse, as in the idiom 趴窝.

FAQ