Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move from a higher position to a lower position: The primary meaning of "xuống" is to physically go down or descend.
   • To decrease, to lower: "xuống" can also describe a reduction in level, degree, or status, such as a drop in temperature, price, or rank.
   • To move southward or downstream: In Vietnamese geography, "xuống" often implies moving towards the south or towards the lower reaches of a river (e.g., from the mountainous north to the coastal plains).

2. Preposition / Directional Particle:

   • Down, downward, downwards: Used after a verb to indicate the direction of the action is downward.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Anh ấy đang xuống cầu thang. (He is going down the stairs.)
  • Giá xăng đã xuống. (The gasoline price has gone down.)
  • Chúng tôi sẽ xuống Đà Nẵng vào mùa hè. (We will go down to Da Nang in the summer.)

• Preposition / Directional Particle:

  • Cô ấy nhìn xuống. (She looks down.)
  • Quả táo rơi xuống đất. (The apple fell to the ground.)

Advanced Usage

• "Xuống nước": To give in, to yield (in a negotiation or argument). Literally "to go down into the water".

  • Cuối cùng, anh ta cũng xuống nước và đồng ý với đề nghị của chúng tôi. (Finally, he gave in and agreed to our proposal.)

• "Xuống giọng": To lower one's tone/voice, often to sound softer or more conciliatory.

  • Thấy con khóc, mẹ xuống giọng dỗ dành. (Seeing her child cry, the mother softened her tone to comfort.)

• "Xuống tay": To act, to take action (often implying decisive or firm action). Literally "to put one's hand down".

  • Tên trộm quá nguy hiểm, cảnh sát buộc phải xuống tay. (The thief was too dangerous, so the police had to take action.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xuống dốc (verb phrase): To go downhill; to decline (in health, quality, or situation).

  • Sức khỏe của ông ấy đang xuống dốc. (His health is declining.)

• Xuống hạng (verb phrase): To be demoted, to be relegated (in rank, class, or sports league).

  • Đội bóng đó đã xuống hạng. (That football team was relegated.)

• Xuống cấp (verb phrase): To deteriorate, to degrade (in quality or condition).

  • Cơ sở hạ tầng thành phố đang xuống cấp. (The city's infrastructure is deteriorating.)

Synonyms

• Giảm (verb): To decrease, to reduce. (Focuses more on the reduction aspect.)
• Hạ (verb): To lower, to bring down. (More formal, often used in commands or technical contexts.)
• Đi xuống (verb phrase): To go down. (A more explicit phrase with the same meaning.)

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Xuống xe: To get off/out of a vehicle.

  • Hãy xuống xe ở bến tiếp theo. (Please get off at the next stop.)

• Xuống thuyền: To board a boat, to get into a boat.

  • Du khách xuống thuyền để tham quan vịnh. (Tourists board the boat to tour the bay.)

• Xuống lòng: To be buried, to be laid to rest (euphemism for burial).

  • Cụ ông đã được xuống lòng chiều nay. (The old man was laid to rest this afternoon.)

Related Idioms

• "Trèo cao té đau" / "Leo cao ngã đau": The higher you climb, the harder you fall. This idiom relates to the concept of "xuống" as a fall from a high position.

  • Anh ta không nghe lời khuyên, giờ mất hết chức vụ, đúng là trèo cao té đau. (He didn't listen to advice, now he's lost all his positions; it's true that the higher you climb, the harder you fall.)

• "Xuống nước xuống cái": To yield completely, to give in on all points.

  • Trong cuộc thương lượng, phía đối tác đã xuống nước xuống cái. (In the negotiation, the partner side yielded completely.)

verb

1. go down, get down