下海

xiàhǎi

verb HSK 7 #21,682

Meanings

1 to go into business; to leave a stable job for the private sector
2 to go into the sea

Characters

to go down; to enter

Literally 'to go into the sea' — the business world is likened to a vast, unpredictable ocean.

Examples

他辞掉公务员的工作下海了。

Tā cídiào gōngwùyuán de gōngzuò xiàhǎi le.

He quit his government job and went into business.

九十年代很多人下海经商。

Jiǔshí niándài hěn duō rén xiàhǎi jīngshāng.

In the 1990s, many people went into private business.

夏天我们去海边下海游泳。

Xiàtiān wǒmen qù hǎibiān xiàhǎi yóuyǒng.

In summer, we go to the beach to swim in the sea.

Tips

history

下海 as 'going into business' became hugely popular during Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms in the 1980s-90s. Millions of people 下海 — quit their 铁饭碗 ('iron rice bowl,' guaranteed government jobs) to start businesses. The metaphor frames entrepreneurship as diving into a dangerous but opportunity-filled ocean. Many of China's billionaires are members of this '下海 generation.'

Stroke Order

下 xià

海 hǎi