Dictionary › 底

底

dǐ

HSK 4 Character

What 底 means

1. bottom; base
2. background; foundation
3. copy (of a manuscript or receipt etc) kept as a record
4. (suffix) end of a year or month
5. mathradix; base (abbr. for {底数|dǐ shù})

Other readings

底 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• de(equivalent to 的 as possessive particle)

Example sentences

• 井底之蛙。
  Jǐngdǐzhīwā.
  A frog in a well doesn't know the ocean.
• 釜底游鱼。
  Fǔdǐyóuyú.
  A fish out of water.
• 坚持到底！
  Stiff upper lip!
• 到底怎幺了？
  What on earth is the matter?
• 你到底是谁？
  Who are you, anyway?
• 厨房在底楼。
  The kitchen is on the first floor.

Words starting with 底

• 底下dǐ xiathe location below sth; afterwards
• 底层dǐ céngground floor; first floor; lowest level; lowest rung (of society etc)
• 底线dǐ xiànbottom line; the limit of what one is prepared to accept; (sports) baseline…
• 底部dǐ bùbottom
• 底蕴dǐ yùninside information; concrete details
• 底子dǐ zibase; foundation; bottom
• 底细dǐ xìinside information; the ins and outs of the matter; how things stand
• 底气dǐ qìlung capacity; lung power; boldness; confidence; self-assurance; vigor
• 底盘dǐ pánchassis
• 底片dǐ piànnegative; photographic plate
• 底座dǐ zuòbase; pedestal; foundation
• 底特律Dǐ tè lǜDetroit, Michigan
• 底牌dǐ páicards in one's hand; (fig.) undisclosed strength or information; hidden trump
• 底定dǐ dìng(literary) to quell an insurgency; (Taiwan) to settle (a matter)
• 底数dǐ shù(math) radix; base
• 底料dǐ liàobase ingredient; base (cooking); primer (paint)
• 底止dǐ zhǐ(literary) end; limit
• 底版dǐ bǎn(photography) negative; photographic plate; (printing) plate
• 底界dǐ jièlower boundary
• 底边dǐ biānbase (of a triangle); base line; hem line (of skirt)
• 底限dǐ xiànlowest limit; bottom line
• 底面dǐ miànbottom; bottom side; bottom surface
• 底比斯Dǐ bǐ sīThebes, place name in ancient Egypt; Thebes, ancient Greek city state
• 底格里斯Dǐ gé lǐ sīTigris River, Iraq

Words containing 底

• 到底dào dǐfinally; in the end; when all is said and done
• 彻底chè dǐthorough; thoroughly; complete
• 归根到底guī gēn dào dǐafter all; in the final analysis; ultimately
• 年底nián dǐthe end of the year; year-end
• 心底xīn dǐbottom of one's heart
• 月底yuè dǐend of the month
• 谜底mí dǐanswer to a riddle
• 海底hǎi dǐseabed; seafloor; bottom of the ocean
• 说到底shuō dào dǐin the final analysis; in the end
• 功底gōng dǐtraining in the basic skills; knowledge of the fundamentals
• 歇斯底里xiē sī dǐ lǐhysteria (loanword); hysterical
• 苏格拉底Sū gé lā dǐSocrates (469-399 BC), Greek philosopher; José Sócrates (1957-), prime minister of…
• 鞋底xié dǐsole (of a shoe)
• 眼底yǎn dǐfundus of the eye (containing the choroid, retina, optic nerve etc); inside the eye…
• 脚底jiǎo dǐsoles of the feet
• 天底下tiān dǐ xiain this world; under the sun
• 水底shuǐ dǐthe bottom of a body of water
• 谷底gǔ dǐvalley floor; (fig.) lowest ebb; all-time low
• 尽收眼底jìn shōu yǎn dǐto take in the whole scene at once; to have a panoramic view
• 锅底guō dǐthe bottom of a pot or pan; hotpot broth
• 归根结底guī gēn jié dǐin the final analysis; ultimately
• 去年底qù nián dǐlate last year; the end of last year
• 粉底fěn dǐ(cosmetics) foundation
• 无底wú dǐbottomless

Characters built on 氐

These share the phonetic component 氐 (dǐ), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 低dīlow; beneath; to lower (one's head)
• 抵dǐto press against; to support; to prop up; to resist; to withstand; to be equal to…
• 邸dǐ(bound form) residence of a high-ranking official
• 诋dǐto defame; to slander
• 坻chíislet; rock in river
• 砥dǐbaffle (pier); whetstone
• 祗zhīrespectful (ly)
• 骶dǐ(bound form) sacrum

Characters that look like 底

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 库kùwarehouse; storehouse; (file) library
• 尾wěitail; remainder; remnant
• 庞páng(bound form) huge; (bound form) numerous and disordered; (bound form) face
• 屎shǐfeces; excrement; a stool; (bound form) secretion (of the ear, eye etc)
• 屌diǎopenis; (slang) cool or extraordinary; (Cantonese) to fuck
• 垠yínlimit; border; river bank

Sounds the same

Read dǐ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 抵to press against; to support; to prop up; to resist; to withstand; to be equal to…
• 邸(bound form) residence of a high-ranking official
• 诋to defame; to slander
• 砥baffle (pier); whetstone
• 骶(bound form) sacrum
• 牴to butt; resist
• 氐foundation; on the whole
• 柢foundation; root
• 呧vex
• 弤carved bow
• 菧stibene
• 觝to butt; resist