Meaning
The kanji 下 carries the core meaning of below, down, under, and lower. It turns up in everyday speech, shop signs, subway stations, and compound words across all proficiency levels. Any learner of Japanese will encounter it within the first few lessons — and for good reason.
Etymologically, 下 is a pictograph — one of the oldest types of kanji. Imagine a horizontal baseline representing a flat surface or reference point, with a short vertical stroke dropping below it. That downward mark is the entire visual concept: something located beneath, or a movement going downward. In ancient Chinese oracle bone script, this was represented by a dot placed below a line. Over centuries of stylisation, the dot became the short vertical tick you see today.
The visual logic is straightforward. The long horizontal stroke acts as a ceiling; the shorter strokes below it literally hang under that surface. This is why 下 is taught in Grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and sits at N5 — the entry level of the JLPT. At just 3 strokes, it is among the simplest kanji to write and immediately recognise.
Beyond spatial positioning, 下 also encodes social hierarchy — a subordinate rank or lower standing — and appears in verbs of descent and certain time expressions. Its natural counterpart is 上 (above, up), and the two are almost always studied as a pair.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi readings come from Classical Chinese pronunciation and appear mainly in compound words (jukugo) formed from two or more kanji.
カ (ka) — The more common of the two on'yomi. It appears in formal and academic words, often carrying a sense of something being below a threshold or in a lower position.
- 地下 (chika) — underground, subway
- 以下 (ika) — below, less than, the following
- 低下 (teika) — decline, drop, deterioration
ゲ (ge) — Less frequent than カ, but still found in common everyday words. It tends to describe a downward movement or action.
- 下車 (gesha) — getting off a vehicle
- 下山 (gezan) — descending a mountain
- 下旬 (gejun) — the last ten days of a month
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are native Japanese words mapped onto this kanji. They appear when 下 stands alone or combines with hiragana (okurigana).
した (shita) — The most common kun'yomi, used as a noun or location word meaning below or under.
- 机の下 (tsukue no shita) — under the desk
- 下着 (shitagi) — underwear, undergarment
- 下町 (shitamachi) — traditional low-lying district of a city
しも (shimo) — Refers to the lower portion of something. Used in geographic contexts and set expressions.
- 川下 (kawashimo) — the lower reaches of a river, downstream
- 下半期 (shimo-hanki) — the second half of the year (July–December)
もと (moto) — Means under in the sense of being within someone's care, authority, or set of conditions.
- 先生の下 (sensei no moto) — under the teacher's guidance
さ.げる (sageru) — A transitive verb meaning to lower or to hang down something.
- 頭を下げる (atama wo sageru) — to bow one's head
- 値段を下げる (nedan wo sageru) — to lower the price
くだ.る (kudaru) — An intransitive verb meaning to descend or to go down.
- 山を下る (yama wo kudaru) — to descend a mountain
お.りる (oriru) — Means to get off or to come down, especially from a vehicle or an elevated place.
- 電車を下りる (densha wo oriru) — to get off the train
Common Words & Compounds
下 shows up in dozens of everyday words. Here are the most useful ones, grouped by theme.
Location & Direction
- 地下 (chika) — underground, basement
- 地下鉄 (chikatetsu) — subway, underground train
- 階下 (kaika) — the floor below, downstairs
- 下町 (shitamachi) — traditional low-lying district of a city
Time & Sequence
下旬 (gejun) — last third of a month (days 21–31)
以下 (ika) — the following; less than or equal to ### Actions & Movement
下車 (gesha) — alighting from a vehicle
下山 (gezan) — coming down from a mountain
下降 (kakō) — descent, drop
低下 (teika) — deterioration, decline
Hierarchy & Relationship
- 部下 (buka) — subordinate, person under one's command
- 目下 (meshita) — one's junior or inferior in rank
- 天下 (tenka) — the whole country, realm under heaven
Clothing & Body
- 下着 (shitagi) — underwear
- 下半身 (kahanshin) — lower body, lower half
Example Sentences
机の下に猫がいます。
Tsukue no shita ni neko ga imasu.
There is a cat under the desk.
木の下で休みましょう。
Ki no shita de yasumimashō.
Let's rest under the tree.
地下鉄で学校に行きます。
Chikatetsu de gakkō ni ikimasu.
I go to school by subway.
次の駅で下車してください。
Tsugi no eki de gesha shite kudasai.
Please get off at the next station.
気温が零度以下に下がった。
Kion ga reido ika ni sagatta.
The temperature dropped below zero degrees.
彼は頭を下げて謝った。
Kare wa atama wo sagete ayamatta.
He bowed his head and apologised.
山を下るのは登るより難しい。
Yama wo kudaru no wa noboru yori muzukashii.
Descending a mountain is harder than climbing it.
部下たちが一生懸命働いている。
Buka-tachi ga isshōkenmei hataraite iru.
The subordinates are working extremely hard.
この商品は千円以下で買えます。
Kono shōhin wa sen-en ika de kaemasu.
You can buy this product for one thousand yen or less.
Related Kanji
- 上 — Above, Up (Kanji N5)
- 目 — Eye (Kanji N5)
- 中 — Middle, Inside (Kanji N5)
- 手 — Hand (Kanji N5)
- 白 — White, Blank, Pure (Kanji N5)
- 生 — Life, Birth, Raw (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Picture a horizon line — that long flat stroke at the top of 下. Below it hangs a short vertical tick: something beneath the surface. Compare it to 上 (up/above), where the same tick points upward instead. Learning the two as a pair locks both in quickly. Next time you spot 地下 at a subway entrance, picture the stairs dropping under that horizon line.