下场

下場
xiàchang
noun HSK 7-9 #5,622

Meanings

  1. 1 fate; end result (usually bad)
  2. 2 what becomes of someone

Characters

Literally 'the way one exits the stage' — how your story ends.

Examples

Tān guān de xiàchang dōu hěn cǎn.
Corrupt officials all come to a bad end.
Nǐ zài zhèyàng xiàqu, xiàchang búhuì hǎo.
If you keep this up, it won't end well for you.
Zhè jiùshì bèipàn péngyou de xiàchang.
This is what happens when you betray your friends.

Tips

usage
下场 almost always implies a negative outcome — you wouldn't say 下场. It's the Chinese equivalent of 'this is how it ends for you' or 'you'll get what's coming to you.' The phrase 没有下场 (méiyǒu hǎo xiàchang, 'won't come to a good end') is extremely common as a warning. Note the neutral tone on (chang, not chǎng) — the verb-sense xiàchǎng (to leave the stage) has a different reading.

Stroke Order

xià
chǎng