下
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
down, below |
| Strokes |
3 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
カ、ゲ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
した、さ-がる、くだ-る |
| Radical |
一 (ichi - one) |
Stroke Order
The stroke order for 下 follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom, left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: A short vertical line starting from the top center.
- Stroke 2: A horizontal line starting from the left, crossing the bottom of the first stroke.
- Stroke 3: A short downward stroke (dot) starting from the top right, pointing toward the bottom left.
Radical Analysis
The main radical is 一 (ichi), meaning "one." In this kanji, the horizontal line acts as a baseline or ground level. The vertical stroke and the dot indicate something positioned beneath that baseline. It is a simple pictograph representing a position relative to a horizontal surface.
Mnemonic
Imagine a horizontal line representing the ground. The vertical line drops down from it, and the little dot is a person hanging off the side, looking down at what is below them.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
カ (KA)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 地下 |
ちか |
chika |
basement |
| 下車 |
げしゃ |
gesha |
getting off (a train/bus) |
| 下水 |
げすい |
gesui |
sewage |
ゲ (GE)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 下旬 |
げじゅん |
gejun |
last ten days of a month |
| 下着 |
したぎ |
shitagi |
underwear |
| 下位 |
かい |
kai |
lower rank |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
した (shita)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 机の下 |
つくえのした |
tsukue no shita |
under the desk |
| 下手 |
へた |
heta |
unskillful |
さ-がる (sa-garu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 下がる |
さがる |
sagaru |
to go down / hang down |
| 値下げ |
ねさげ |
nesage |
price reduction |
くだ-る (kuda-ru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 下る |
くだる |
kudaru |
to descend / go down |
| 下り列車 |
くだりれっしゃ |
kudari ressha |
outbound train |
JLPT N5 Words Using 下
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 下 |
した |
shita |
under / below |
N5 |
| 地下鉄 |
ちかてつ |
chikatetsu |
subway |
N5 |
| 下手 |
へた |
heta |
unskillful |
N5 |
| 下着 |
したぎ |
shitagi |
underwear |
N5 |
| 下がる |
さがる |
sagaru |
to go down |
N5 |
| 下げる |
さげる |
sageru |
to lower |
N5 |
| 下りる |
おりる |
oriru |
to descend |
N5 |
| 下さる |
くださる |
kudasaru |
to give (honorific) |
N4 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 猫は机の下にいます。 |
ねこはつくえのしたにいます。 |
Neko wa tsukue no shita ni imasu. |
The cat is under the desk. |
| 次の駅で下車します。 |
つぎのえきでげしゃします。 |
Tsugi no eki de gesha shimasu. |
I will get off at the next station. |
| 階段を下りてください。 |
かいだんをおりてください。 |
Kaidan o orite kudasai. |
Please go down the stairs. |
| 気温が下がりました。 |
きおんがさがりました。 |
Kion ga sagarimashita. |
The temperature has gone down. |
| 私は料理が下手です。 |
わたしはりょうりがへたです。 |
Watashi wa ryouri ga heta desu. |
I am bad at cooking. |
| 今月の下旬に旅行します。 |
こんげつのげじゅんにりょこうします。 |
Kongetsu no gejun ni ryokou shimasu. |
I will travel in the last ten days of this month. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 下 |
した |
down |
The dot is on the right, pointing down. |
| 上 |
うえ |
up |
The dot is on the left, pointing up. |
| 卜 |
ぼく |
divination |
This is a radical/katakana 'to'; it lacks the horizontal base line. |
Usage Frequency Note
下 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every context, from basic spatial descriptions (under/below) to complex compound verbs and nouns. It is essential for daily communication and is used equally in formal writing and casual speech.