jiàngluò: 降落 - To Land, To Descend

• Keywords: 降落, jiangluo, jiàngluò, Chinese for land, airplane landing in Chinese, how to say land a plane in Chinese, descend in Chinese, jiangluo meaning, take off and landing in Chinese, 着陆 zhuólù, HSK 4
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 降落 (jiàngluò), which means “to land” or “to descend.” This page will guide you through its core meaning, primarily used for airplanes, helicopters, and drones. We'll break down the characters, explore its practical use in travel and conversation, and compare it to similar terms like `着陆 (zhuólù)` to help you master one of the most common verbs in modern Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàngluò
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To descend from the air and touch down on the ground or water; to land.
• In a Nutshell: `降落` is the standard, everyday word for when something flying comes down to the ground in a controlled way. Think of the announcement you hear on an airplane: “We are about to land.” It captures the entire process of descending from a height and arriving at a destination. While it's most famous for flights, it can also be used for anything that descends gracefully, even metaphorically like the setting sun.

• 降 (jiàng): This character means “to descend,” “to fall,” or “to lower.” The left-side radical 阝(fù) is a form of 阜, which originally depicted a mound or hill. This gives a strong visual sense of going downwards from a high place.
• 落 (luò): This character means “to fall,” “to drop,” or “to settle.” The top radical 艹 (cǎo) is related to grass and plants. You can imagine leaves falling from a tree, which is a core image for this character. It implies a natural settling or coming to rest.

When combined, 降落 (jiàngluò) literally means “descend and settle.” This beautiful combination perfectly describes the controlled action of an aircraft coming down from the sky and settling safely on the ground.

While `降落` is a highly practical term, its ubiquity in modern China reflects the country's rapid development and integration with the world. For millions of Chinese people, the sound of the flight attendant announcing the plane is about to `降落` is a symbol of homecoming, the start of a business trip, or the beginning of a vacation. In Western culture, the word “land” is very flexible. You can “land a job,” “land a fish,” or “land in trouble.” The Chinese term `降落` is much more specific to physical descent. This highlights a feature of the Chinese language where concepts are often expressed with highly specific, descriptive compound words. You wouldn't use `降落` to talk about getting a job; you would use `找到 (zhǎodào)` (to find). This specificity makes `降落` a very clear and unambiguous term, reflecting a cultural value for clarity and precision in functional contexts like transportation.

`降落` is a neutral term used in both formal and informal settings. 1. Aviation and Travel: This is the most common context. You will hear and use it constantly when discussing air travel.

• Flight announcements: “飞机即将降落。” (The plane is about to land.)
• Conversation: “我们的航班什么时候降落？” (When does our flight land?)

2. Other Vehicles: It's also used for other flying machines.

• Helicopters: “直升机降落在楼顶上。” (The helicopter landed on the rooftop.)
• Drones: “我的无人机降落失败了。” (My drone failed to land.)

3. Metaphorical and Literary Use: In more poetic contexts, `降落` can describe things descending naturally.

• “夜幕降落了。” (The curtain of night has fallen.)
• “雪花轻轻地降落在地面上。” (Snowflakes landed gently on the ground.)

• Example 1:
• 飞机马上就要降落了，请您系好安全带。
• Pinyin: Fēijī mǎshàng jiù yào jiàngluò le, qǐng nín jì hǎo ānquándài.
• English: The plane is about to land now, please fasten your seatbelt.
• Analysis: This is a classic example of a flight announcement. It's polite, direct, and uses `马上 (mǎshàng)` to indicate imminence.
• Example 2:
• 我们的航班预计下午三点降落在上海浦东机场。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen de hángbān yùjì xiàwǔ sān diǎn jiàngluò zài Shànghǎi Pǔdōng jīchǎng.
• English: Our flight is expected to land at Shanghai Pudong Airport at 3 PM.
• Analysis: This shows how to talk about landing times and locations. `预计 (yùjì)` means “to estimate” or “to expect.”
• Example 3:
• 这位机长的技术非常好，飞机降落得非常平稳。
• Pinyin: Zhè wèi jīzhǎng de jìshù fēicháng hǎo, fēijī jiàngluò de fēicháng píngwěn.
• English: This pilot's skill is excellent; the plane's landing was very smooth.
• Analysis: The structure `[verb] + 得 + [adverb]` is used to describe how an action was performed. Here, it describes the quality of the landing.
• Example 4:
• 由于天气原因，飞机无法按时降落。
• Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, fēijī wúfǎ ànshí jiàngluò.
• English: Due to weather reasons, the plane cannot land on time.
• Analysis: `由于 (yóuyú)` means “due to,” and `无法 (wúfǎ)` means “unable to,” making this a useful sentence for travel problems.
• Example 5:
• 一架直升机正在医院的停机坪上降落。
• Pinyin: Yí jià zhíshēngjī zhèngzài yīyuàn de tíngjīpíng shàng jiàngluò.
• English: A helicopter is landing on the hospital's helipad.
• Analysis: This example extends the use of `降落` to another type of aircraft, the helicopter (`直升机`).
• Example 6:
• 控制无人机安全降落需要练习。
• Pinyin: Kòngzhì wúrénjī ānquán jiàngluò xūyào liànxí.
• English: Controlling a drone to land safely requires practice.
• Analysis: Shows the use of `降落` in the modern context of drones (`无人机`).
• Example 7:
• 黄昏时分，夜幕开始降落。
• Pinyin: Huánghūn shífēn, yèmù kāishǐ jiàngluò.
• English: At dusk, the curtain of night begins to fall.
• Analysis: A beautiful, literary example of `降落` used metaphorically. `夜幕 (yèmù)` literally means “night curtain.”
• Example 8:
• 宇航员成功让探测器降落在了火星表面。
• Pinyin: Yǔhángyuán chénggōng ràng tàncèqì jiàngluò zài le huǒxīng biǎomiàn.
• English: The astronauts successfully made the probe land on the surface of Mars.
• Analysis: This demonstrates a more technical, scientific use of the word. `探测器 (tàncèqì)` is “probe.”
• Example 9:
• 一只美丽的蝴蝶降落在我的手指上。
• Pinyin: Yì zhī měilì de húdié jiàngluò zài wǒ de shǒuzhǐ shàng.
• English: A beautiful butterfly landed on my finger.
• Analysis: A gentle and light usage of the word, showing it can apply to small, living things as well.
• Example 10:
• 飞机需要降落加油。
• Pinyin: Fēijī xūyào jiàngluò jiāyóu.
• English: The plane needs to land to refuel.
• Analysis: A simple, practical sentence stating the purpose of the landing. `加油 (jiāyóu)` means “to refuel” or, famously, “to cheer on!”

• `降落 (jiàngluò)` vs. `着陆 (zhuólù)`: This is a common point of confusion.
• `降落 (jiàngluò)` refers to the entire process of descending and landing.
• `着陆 (zhuólù)` specifically means “to touch down on land” (the character `陆` means land). It's more technical and focuses on the moment of contact with the ground.
• In short: The plane's `降落` process ends with the `着陆` moment. For everyday conversation, `降落` is far more common.
• `降落 (jiàngluò)` vs. `落下 (luòxià)`:
• `降落` implies control and purpose (a plane landing).
• `落下 (luòxià)` means “to fall” or “to be dropped,” often due to gravity without control (a ball falling, tears falling). You wouldn't say a plane `落下` unless it was crashing.
• False Friend: “To land” a job:
• In English, you can “land a job.” In Chinese, you cannot `降落` a job. This is a direct translation error.
• Incorrect: 我降落了一个新工作。 (Wǒ jiàngluò le yí ge xīn gōngzuò.)
• Correct: 我找到了一个新工作。 (Wǒ zhǎodào le yí ge xīn gōngzuò.) (I found a new job.)

• 起飞 (qǐfēi) - The direct antonym of `降落`; “to take off.”
• 着陆 (zhuólù) - A more specific synonym; “to touch down on land.”
• 下降 (xiàjiàng) - A broader term for “to descend” or “to decline.” Can be used for altitude, prices, temperature, etc.
• 迫降 (pòjiàng) - A specific type of landing; “to make a forced/emergency landing.”
• 坠落 (zhuìluò) - A negative outcome; “to fall,” “to crash.” Implies a catastrophic loss of control.
• 飞机 (fēijī) - The most common subject of `降落`; “airplane.”
• 机场 (jīchǎng) - The place where planes `降落` and `起飞`; “airport.”
• 航班 (hángbān) - “Scheduled flight.” You often talk about a `航班`'s landing time.
• 降价 (jiàngjià) - “To reduce the price.” An example of the character `降` used in an economic context.