下海

Chinese

		under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter	ocean; sea
simp. and trad. (下海)		下	海
Literally: “to go into the sea”.

Etymology

In the business sense, the analogy is that going out to the sea is usually risky and unpredictable.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiàhǎi

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄞˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haa⁶ hoi²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hǎ-hái / hā-hái / hēe-hái

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiàhǎi
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄞˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siàhǎi
    • Wade–Giles: hsia⁴-hai³
    • Yale: syà-hǎi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiahhae
    • Palladius: сяхай (sjaxaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ä⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: haa⁶ hoi²
    • Yale: hah hói
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haa⁶ hoi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ha⁶ hoi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haː²² hɔːi̯³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hǎ-hái
    • Tâi-lô: hǎ-hái
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ha²² hai⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hā-hái
    • Tâi-lô: hā-hái
    • Phofsit Daibuun: haxhae
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ha²²⁻²¹ hai⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hēe-hái
    • Tâi-lô: hēe-hái
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɛ²²⁻²¹ hai⁵³/

Verb

下海

1. (literally) to sail out to the sea; to go to sea; to go fishing, swimming, surfing (or other activities) in the sea
2. (figuratively, chiefly Mainland China) to resign from one's profession and venture into doing business

   下海經商／下海经商  ―  xiàhǎi jīngshāng  ―  to go into business

3. (figuratively, of an amateur performer) to turn professional
4. (figuratively, of a woman) to be driven to prostitution
5. (figuratively, slang) to go into the pornography or sex work industry

Synonyms

• (to sail out the sea): (Hokkien) 落海

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "to go into the pornography or sex work industry"): 上岸 (shàng'àn)