写下
xiě xià
The English phrase 'write up' can be translated into Chinese as 写下 (xiě xià).
写下 is used when the focus is on the act of committing information to paper or a digital medium to ensure it is not forgotten, meaning to write down or to record. In legal contexts, you might use the related phrase 起草合同 (qǐchǎo hétóng) to mean 'draft a contract'.
Meaning: to produce by writing (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that the action of writing something down has been completed, you can add the particle 了 after 写下 to form 写下了 (wrote down).
How do you pronounce it?
xiě xià
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the act of 'writing down' someone's name in a list or record can carry a threatening connotation, implying they have been marked for punishment or surveillance.
- In digital contexts, instead of saying 'write up' a message, Chinese users often use 打 (dǎ) as in 打字 (dǎ zì), which literally translates to 'hitting characters' to describe the act of typing.
- The character 写 (xiě) is visually composed of elements that historically related to 'drawing' or 'sketching', reflecting that 'writing up' was once seen as a form of visual depiction.
Examples in context
- 我需要撰写一份报告I need to write up a report
- 请提交书面报告Please submit a written report
- 你需要写一篇论文You need to write up an essay
- 我写了一份报告I wrote up a report
- 好的，我记一下Okay, I'll write that down
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a project meeting.
- 伟 Wei这次会议的重点是什么？Zhè cì huìyì de zhòngdiǎn shì shénme?What were the key points of this meeting?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我还没把总结写下。Wǒ hái méi bǎ zǒngjié xiěxià.I haven't written up the summary yet.
- 伟 Wei那你现在快点写吧。Nà nǐ xiànzài kuàidiǎn xiě ba.Then please write it quickly now.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好的，我马上完成。Hǎode, wǒ mǎshàng wánchéng.Okay, I will finish it immediately.
