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下場

简下场 · 繁下場

Mandarin · pinyin xià chǎng#

to leave the stage or playing field
to enter a competition; to take part in a contest
(historical) to sit an imperial examination

Mandarin · pinyin xià chang#

fate; end; outcome (usually unfortunate)

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Characters in this entry

下: xià · under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
場: chǎng · open space, field, market
场: chǎng · open space, field, market

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3 · xia4 chang3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

下場 · find source passages ↗ · 下场 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

haa6 coeng4

Cantonese word readings for 下場. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to leave the stage; to exit the playing field, court, etc.
to go onto the playing field
(historical) to take an examination (in the imperial examination system)

noun

end (usually an unfavourable one); state that someone finds themselves in for their actions; karma

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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