Figurative 下来: fixing, keeping, calming down
补语 / complements
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
记 / 写 / 留 / 停 / 安静 / 冷静 + 下来
Figuratively, 下来 expresses:
1. Fixing, keeping something that would otherwise be lost: 记下来 (note down), 写下来 (write down), 留下来 (stay, keep), 拍下来 (capture on camera).
2. Going from active to calm: 停下来 (stop), 安静下来 (quiet down), 慢下来 (slow down).
3. Continuing from the past to now: 传下来 (hand down), a tradition 传下来.
Compare: 下去 → present to future; 下来 → past to present.
Examples
这个菜谱是我奶奶传下来的。
Zhège càipǔ shì wǒ nǎinai chuán xialai de.This recipe was handed down from my grandmother.
我把做法都记下来了。
Wǒ bǎ zuòfǎ dōu jì xialai le.I wrote down all the steps.
火太大了，快停下来！
Huǒ tài dà le, kuài tíng xialai!The heat's too high, stop right now!
Common mistakes
✗ 请把电话号码记下去。 → you're capturing information: ✓ 记下来。
✗ 我们的传统会传下来 (future) → towards the future: ✓ 传下去; from the past: ✓ 传下来。