下: the kanji for down and below
下 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means down, below. Below are its readings, 21 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
下 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
下 has 12 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 20 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
カ (ka)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 地下ちか · chika | underground; basement |
| 地下鉄ちかてつ · chikatetsu | subway |
| 以下いか · ika | or less; below |
| 部下ぶか · buka | subordinate; team member |
| 落下らっか · rakka | fall; drop |
| 廊下ろうか · rōka | hallway |
ゲ (ge)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下車げしゃ · gesha | getting off (a train or bus) |
| 下水げすい · gesui | sewage |
| 上下じょうげ · jōge | up and down |
| 下旬げじゅん · gejun | the last ten days of a month |
| 下宿げしゅく · geshuku | boarding house |
した (shita)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下した · shita | under; below |
| 靴下くつした · kutsushita | socks |
しも (shimo)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 川下かわしも · kawashimo | downstream |
さげる (sageru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下げるさげる · sageru | to lower |
| 値下げねさげ · nesage | price cut |
さがる (sagaru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下がるさがる · sagaru | to go down; to fall |
くだる (kudaru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下りくだり · kudari | going down; an outbound train |
くださる (kudasaru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下さるくださる · kudasaru | to give (polite) |
おりる (oriru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下りるおりる · oriru | to come down |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 下, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 下手へた · heta | unskillful; bad at |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 部下と打ち合わせをします。Buka to uchiawase o shimasu.I have a meeting with a member of my team.
- 地下鉄で会社に行きます。Chikatetsu de kaisha ni ikimasu.I go to the office by subway.
- 気温が下がりました。Kion ga sagarimashita.The temperature dropped.
- 来月、値下げをします。Raigetsu, nesage o shimasu.We'll cut prices next month.
- 机の下にかばんがあります。Tsukue no shita ni kaban ga arimasu.There's a bag under the desk.
- 歌は下手ですが、好きです。Uta wa heta desu ga, suki desu.I'm bad at singing, but I like it.
Questions about 下
How many strokes does 下 have?
下 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 下?
The on readings are ka (カ), ge (ゲ). The kun readings are shita (した), shimo (しも), moto (もと), sageru (さげる), sagaru (さがる), kudaru (くだる), kudasu (くだす), kudasaru (くださる), orosu (おろす), oriru (おりる).
What is the difference between 以上 and 以下?
以上 (ijō) means "or more" and 以下 (ika) means "or less." Both include the number itself: 十人以上 means ten or more people.
What JLPT level is 下?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Places and directions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 下
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.