落

Stroke order

Simplified Chinese and Japanese

落 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+9, 13 strokes in traditional Chinese and Korean, 12 strokes in simplified Chinese and Japanese, cangjie input 廿水竹口 (TEHR), four-corner 4416₄, composition ⿱艹洛)

• 𡀩, 𢣅, 𭢥, 𣋛, 𥋷, 𭘹, 𮆗, 𫄈, 𨮎, 𮒏

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1043, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31362
• Dae Jaweon: page 1503, character 20
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3255, character 8
• Unihan data for U+843D

• Unihan data for U+F918

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡ·raːɡ) : semantic 艹 + phonetic 洛 (OC *ɡ·raːɡ).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(k/g)la-k/y/t (“to fall”) (STEDT, Schuessler, 2007):

within Sinitic, cognate to 露 (OC *ɡ·raːɡs) "dew", 下 (OC *ɡraːʔ, *ɡraːs, “down, below, to descend, to fall down”) , 陊 (OC *l'aːlʔ, *l'alʔ) "to collapse" and 阤 (OC *l'alʔ, *hljalʔ) "hillside, slope";

outsides Sinitic, cognate to Mizo tla ~ tlâk (“to fall”) and thla ~ thlâk (“to drop”), Burmese ကျ (kya., “to fall”) and ချ (hkya., “to drop”).

Schuessler attributes OC *r-, instead of expected **l-, to possible Austroasiatic influence: compare Khmer [script needed] (gra'ka, “be low, debased”) < [script needed] (-ra'ka, “to fall, below, cover from above”). However, Matisoff (2003) identifies several ST etyma which display TB *(C‑)l- vs. OC *(C‑)r‑ correspondence (e.g. *l(j)a(k/ŋ) (“good, beautiful”) → 良 (OC *raŋ), *g/m-liŋ (“neck”) → 領 (OC *reŋʔ), etc.) and TB *(C‑)r- vs. OC *(C‑)l‑ (e.g. *g-rjum (“salt”) → 鹽 (OC *ɡ·lam)); so irregularities in correspondence do not necessarily indicate foreign influences.

Contemporary southern usage possibly reinforced by a Kra-Dai term. The term has been associated with Zhuang loengx (“to fall”).

Zhengzhang suggested that Pronunciation 2 was a result of loss of final consonant of the retained Old Chinese Pronunciation 1.

落

1. to fall; to drop

   落淚／落泪  ―  luòlèi  ―  to shed tears

   隕石為什麼總是落在隕石坑裡？ [MSC, trad.]
   陨石为什么总是落在陨石坑里？ [MSC, simp.]

   Yǔnshí wèishénme zǒngshì luò zài yǔnshíkēng lǐ? [Pinyin]

   Why do meteors always fall right into craters? (a joke question)

   落水  ―  luòshuǐ  ―  to fall into the water

   • 花落知多少 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: 689—740, 孟浩然 (Meng Haoran), 《春曉》 (“A Spring Day's Morning”)

     huā luò zhī duōshǎo [Pinyin]

     How many are the fallen flowers?

   • 誤落塵網中，一去三十年。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     误落尘网中，一去三十年。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tao Yuanming, 歸園田居‧其一

     Wù luò chén wǎng zhōng, yī qù sānshí nián. [Pinyin]

     But by mistakes I fell in mundane snares, and thus was entangled for thirteen years.

2. (intransitive) (to go to a lower place)
   1. to go down; to descend; to set

      日落  ―  rìluò  ―  sunset

      潮水落了。  ―  Cháoshuǐ luò le.  ―  The tide is low.

      鳥兒落在樹枝上。 [MSC, trad.]
      鸟儿落在树枝上。 [MSC, simp.]

      Niǎo'ér luò zài shùzhī shàng. [Pinyin]

      The bird lands on the branch

      1. (Cantonese, Southern Min) to go down; to descend (of a person, animal, etc.)

         落樓梯／落楼梯 [Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ lau⁴ tai¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to go down the stairs

         我落一落樓下。 [Cantonese, trad.]
         我落一落楼下。 [Cantonese, simp.]

         ngo⁵ lok⁶ jat¹ lok⁶ lau⁴ haa⁶. [Jyutping]

         I will go downstairs for a while.

   2. to decline; to sink; to come down

      衰落  ―  shuāiluò  ―  to decline; to go downhill

      家道中落  ―  jiādàozhōngluò  ―  the family fortunes has declined

      落到這步田地／落到这步田地  ―  luò dào zhè bù tiándì  ―  to come down to such a plight

   3. to fall onto; to rest with (of responsibility, power, position, etc.)

      大權旁落／大权旁落  ―  dàquánpángluò  ―  power has fallen into the hands of others

      這個任務落到了我身上。 [MSC, trad.]
      这个任务落到了我身上。 [MSC, simp.]

      Zhège rènwù luò dào le wǒ shēnshàng. [Pinyin]

      This task falls onto our shoulders.

   4. (Cantonese, Southern Min, Wu) to get off; to alight; to exit; to disembark (a vehicle)

      落船 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ syun⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to disembark from a boat

      落車／落车 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ ce¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to alight; to exit a car

      落車／落车 [Hokkien]  ―  lo̍h-chhia [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to alight; to exit a car

   5. (Cantonese, Eastern Min, Southern Min, dialectal Wu) to finish; to complete (class or work)

      落課／落课  ―  lo̍hkè  ―  to finish class

   6. (Cantonese) to go to a more lively and bustling area (especially downtown)
   7. (Cantonese, Eastern Min, Mainland China Hokkien) to go to somewhere inferior or subordinate

      落鄉／落乡 [Hokkien]  ―  lo̍h-hiuⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to go to the countryside

   8. (Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew) down [onto; to]

      打落地下度 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² lok⁶ dei⁶ haa^6-2 dou⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  to hit something and cause it to fall to the ground

3. (transitive) (to move something to a lower place)
   1. to lower; to let fall; to let down

      我把簾子落下來。 [MSC, trad.]
      我把帘子落下来。 [MSC, simp.]

      Wǒ bǎ liánzi luò xiàlái. [Pinyin]

      I lowered the blinds.

      落價／落价 [Hokkien]  ―  lo̍h-kè [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to fall in price

   2. (literary) to write down (with a pen)
   3. (Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Huizhou, Min, Southern Pinghua, Wu, Xiang) to fall down; to rain or snow

      啲雨一滴都未落佢已經喺度攞住把遮行。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      啲雨一滴都未落佢已经喺度𫽋住把遮行。 [Cantonese, simp.]

      di¹ jyu⁵ jat¹ dik¹ dou¹ mei⁶ lok⁶ keoi⁵ ji⁵ ging¹ hai² dou⁶ lo² zyu⁶ baa² ze¹ haang⁴. [Jyutping]

      He had already started to carry an umbrella before the rain even began to fall.

   4. (Cantonese, Southern Min) to add; to put in (into food, a mixture, etc.)

      落味精 [Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ mei⁶ zing¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to add MSG

      落石屎 [Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ sek⁶ si² [Jyutping]  ―  to pour concrete

   5. (Cantonese, Hokkien) to give or issue something to an inferior person

      落旨 [Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ zi² [Jyutping]  ―  to issue a decree

      落叉廚／落叉厨 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lok⁶ caa¹ cyu⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to issue a charge

      落公文 [Hokkien]  ―  lo̍h kong-bûn [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to issue an official document

   6. (Cantonese) to abort (a fetus)

      你咁狠心落咗佢。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

      nei⁵ gam³ han² sam¹ lok⁶ zo² keoi⁵. [Jyutping]

      How cruel of you to abort it.

   7. (Xiamen and Taiwanese Hokkien) to fell; to lop; to cut down; to hew (trees)
4. to stop; to cease

   落腳／落脚  ―  luòjiǎo  ―  to stop over; to put up

   話音未落／话音未落  ―  huàyīn wèi luò  ―  before one has finished speaking

5. to lag behind; to fall behind

   落選／落选  ―  luòxuǎn  ―  to lose an election

   落伍  ―  luòwǔ  ―  to be behind the times

6. to leave behind; to stay behind

   不落痕跡／不落痕迹  ―  bùluòhénjì  ―  to leave no trace

7. place where one stays; whereabouts

   下落  ―  xiàluò  ―  whereabouts

8. settlement; place to gather together

   村落  ―  cūnluò  ―  village

9. small area; short part

   段落  ―  duànluò  ―  paragraph

10. to get; to receive; to have

    落不是  ―  làobùshi  ―  to get blamed

    落褒貶／落褒贬  ―  làobāobiǎn  ―  to receive praise and criticism

    落埋怨  ―  làomáiyuàn  ―  to take the blame

11. (Eastern Min) Classifier for residences.
12. (Hainanese, Leizhou Min, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore and Taiwanese Hokkien, Teochew) to fade (of color)
13. (Hokkien) Classifier for a row of houses.
14. (Hokkien) to omit; to leave out
15. (Hokkien) to disassemble; to dismantle
16. (Hokkien) to have diarrhea
17. (Hokkien) to leak (of water or gas)
18. (Hokkien) to coax out of somebody; to trick somebody into telling (of a secret, information, the truth, etc.)
19. (Hokkien) to fall off; to drop off (from somewhere)
20. (Hokkien) to lose; to misplace
21. (Mainland China Hokkien) to get along well
22. (Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) loose; about to fall off (often reduplicated)
23. (Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) Classifier for events, deals, etc..
24. (Xiamen Hokkien) to divide into; to split up into
25. (Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) to unload (cargo, etc.)
26. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to show off one's skills in speaking (a certain language)
27. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to gather (one's own men) to help (used to gather a crowd for a fight)
28. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to shake a container to let something fall out
29. (Zhangzhou Hokkien, of wind) to blow
30. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to space out; to leave distances in between
31. (Cantonese) added after a verb to express a reassessment after doing or experiencing something for a certain period of time

    佢睇落幾靚仔。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    佢睇落几靓仔。 [Cantonese, simp.]

    keoi⁵ tai² lok⁶ gei² leng³ zai². [Jyutping]

    He seems to be quite handsome.

32. (Cantonese) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

    做落先知原來咁難。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    做落先知原来咁难。 [Cantonese, simp.]

    zou⁶ lok⁶ sin¹ zi¹ jyun⁴ loi⁴ gam³ naan⁴. [Jyutping]

    Only after doing it for a while do you realize how difficult it is.

    肥到著唔落條褲 [Cantonese, trad.]
    肥到著唔落条裤 [Cantonese, simp.]

    fei⁴ dou³ zoek³ m⁴ lok⁶ tiu⁴ fu³ [Jyutping]

    too fat to put on the pair of pants

33. a surname

• (to omit):

• (to disassemble): 拆卸 (chāixiè); (Hokkien) 拆落

• (to leak): 洩／泄 (xiè)
• (to coax out of somebody): 套 (tào); (Hokkien) 擢 (tioh)
• (classifier for events): 樁／桩 (zhuāng)
• (to blow): 颳／刮 (guā)

• 加 (jiā, “to add”)
• 掉 (diào)

• → Ai-Cham: lau⁵
• → Thai: โละ (ló) (via Teochew loh⁸)
• → Vietnamese: lạc