Chinese word

下属

Pronunciation

Pinyinxià shǔ

Meaning

  • nounsubordinate

Example

我的下属都很努力。wǒ de xià shǔ dōu hěn nǔ lì

All my subordinates work very hard.

Illustration for 下属 (subordinate)

More examples

作为经理，我负责培养和管理我的下属。zuò wéi jīng lǐ wǒ fù zé péi yǎng hé guán lǐ wǒ de xià shǔ

As a manager, I am responsible for training and managing my subordinates.

Core concept

People or teams positioned beneath a manager or organization in a chain of responsibility.

Common phrases

  • 直属下属zhí shǔ xià shǔ

    direct subordinate

  • 管理下属guán lǐ xià shǔ

    manage subordinates

  • 下属部门xià shǔ bù mén

    subordinate department

Similar words

下级xià jí: A person or group with a lower rank or position in an organization or social hierarchy.
属下shǔ xià: A person who works under an authority figure and follows that person's instructions.

Definition in Chinese

属于某人或某个组织管辖，在职责或职位上处于下位的人或群体。shǔ yú mǒu rén huò mǒu gè zǔ zhī guǎn xiá zài zhí zé huò zhí wèi shàng chǔ yú xià wèi de rén huò qún tǐ

Word origin

下 (xià, "below") + 属 (shǔ, "belong to") places a person or group below an authority while still belonging to its structure.

Usage tips

  • In professional settings, 下属 (xiàshǔ, "subordinate") is neutral, whereas 手下 (shǒuxià, "underlings") can sound more personal or rough, so the two are not interchangeable.

Opposites

Related words

  • 下属单位xià shǔ dān wèisubordinate unitnoun
  • 下属企业xià shǔ qǐ yèsubordinate enterprisenoun

Word lists with this word