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Definition 2024

下海

下海

Chinese

		under; second; next under; second; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to decline; to go down; latter	ocean; sea
simp. and trad. (下海)		下	海

Verb

下海

(literally) to sail out to the sea
(figuratively, idiomatic) to venture into doing business

Etymology

Literally: into the sea. The analogy used here is that going out to the sea is usually risky and unpredictable.

Pronunciation

Mandarin

(Pinyin): xiàhǎi

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄞˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): haa⁶ hoi²
Min Nan (POJ): hǎ-hái / hā-hái / hēe-hái

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Beijing)⁺
  - Pinyin: xiàhǎi
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄞˇ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiahhae
  - IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯a̠⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: haa⁶ hoi²
  - Yale: hah hói
  - Cantonese Pinyin: haa⁶ hoi²
  - IPA ^(key): /hɑː²² hɔːi̯³⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hǎ-hái
  - Tâi-lô: hǎ-hái
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ha²² haɪ⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hā-hái
  - Tâi-lô: hā-hái
  - Phofsit Daibuun: haxhae
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ha²²⁻²¹ haɪ⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hēe-hái
  - Tâi-lô: hēe-hái
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɛ²²⁻²¹ haɪ⁵³/