Chinese word

卧

Pronunciation

Pinyinwò

Meaning

  • verblie down

Example

他因病一直卧床三天。tā yīn bìng yì zhí wò chuáng sān tiān

He lay in bed for three days because he was sick.

Illustration for 卧 (lie down)

More examples

士兵听到命令后迅速卧倒，躲避子弹。shì bīng tīng dào mìng lìng hòu xùn sù wò dǎo duǒ bì zǐ dàn

After hearing the order, the soldier quickly lay face down to avoid the bullets.

Core concept

A body leaves an upright posture and stays horizontal for rest, whether for a moment or through an extended condition.

Common phrases

  • 卧床wò chuáng

    stay in bed

  • 侧卧cè wò

    lie on one's side

  • 卧倒wò dǎo

    lie face down

Similar words

躺tǎng: Lying with the body supported by a bed, floor, or another surface.
躺下tǎng xià: Changing from an upright posture to a horizontal one.
睡觉shuì jiào: Spending time asleep.
卧床wò chuáng: Remaining in bed as part of treatment or recovery from sickness or injury.

Definition in Chinese

使身体处于横向或平卧状态，既可指短时躺下也可指长期卧床不起。shǐ shēn tǐ chǔ yú héng xiàng huò píng wò zhuàng tài jì kě zhǐ duǎn shí tǎng xià yě kě zhǐ cháng qī wò chuáng bù qǐ

Word origin

The character 卧 (wò, "lie down") developed from an older written form connected with the image of a person lying down, making the character's shape a reminder of its central posture.

Usage tips

  • English uses lie in many ordinary situations, but this Chinese verb has a more literary or clinical register, an important difference when choosing natural speech.

Other meanings

  • sleepverb
  • stay in bedverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word