下
below · down · descend · give · low · inferior
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Indicative character with a dot below a baseline. Opposite of '上' (above).
Symbolism
Humility, foundation, descending. Represents modest contribution as in 'unsung hero'.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Going down stairs
Component Breakdown
one + 卜
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
急転直下
きゅうてんちょっか
suddenly and precipitately; take a sudden turn
月下氷人
げっかひょうじん
go-between; matchmaker; Cupid
三日天下
みっかてんか
short-lived rule; being in power only for a brief period; brief championship
天下一品
てんかいっぴん
beyond compare; peerless; unrivaled
天下無双
てんかむそう
peerless; unequaled; unequalled
臍下丹田
せいかたんでん
pit of the stomach
上意下達
じょういかたつ
conveying the will of the governing to the governed; top-down (system)
下意上達
かいじょうたつ
conveyance of the views of those below to those at the top
地盤沈下
じばんちんか
land subsidence; decline in influence
天下泰平
てんかたいへい
peace throughout the world; carefree; peaceful
天下無敵
てんかむてき
peerless; unequalled; unequaled
天下御免
てんかごめん
licensed; chartered; officially allowed
貴賤上下
きせんしょうか
high and low; (people of) all ranks and classes
一上一下
いちじょういちげ
going up and down
瓜田李下
かでんりか
be careful not to invite the least suspicion; leave no room for scandal
月下推敲
げっかすいこう
polish; elaboration; repeatedly working over one's writing
天下多事
てんかたじ
eventful times for the nation (world); the nation (world) being in turmoil; the storm clouds gathering in the land
天下無類
てんかむるい
peerless (unparalleled, matchless, unequaled) in the country
天上天下
てんじょうてんげ
the whole world; throughout heaven and earth
李下瓜田
りかかでん
be careful not to invite the least suspicion; leave no room for scandal
下学上達
かがくじょうたつ
beginning one's studies with something familiar and gradually increasing the depth of learning
月下老人
げっかろうじん
go-between; matchmaker
脚下照顧
きゃっかしょうこ
look carefully where your own footsteps fall; seek enlightenment by knowing yourself and not by watching others; know thyself
Proverbs & Idioms
下手な鉄砲も数撃ちゃ当たる
へたなてっぽうもかずうちゃあたる
Even a poor marksman hits with enough shots
Keep trying and you will eventually succeed
Poetry
むざんやな甲の下のきりぎりす
How pitiless — a cricket under the helmet.
春や昔十五万石の城下かな
Spring as it was long ago — a castle town of a hundred and fifty thousand koku.
Anime & Manga
下ネタという概念が存在しない退屈な世界
SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist
A well-known work with 下 in its Japanese title.
終物語（下）
Owarimonogatari Second Season
A well-known work with 下 in its Japanese title.
本好きの下剋上 司書になるためには手段を選んでいられません
Ascendance of a Bookworm
A well-known work with 下 in its Japanese title.
打ち上げ花火、下から見るか？横から見るか？
Fireworks
A well-known work with 下 in its Japanese title.
一人之下
Hitori no Shita - The Outcast
A well-known work with 下 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
山下りん
Name contains 下
Yamashita Rin was a painter of icons for the Japanese Orthodox Church.
Wikipedia下田歌子
Name contains 下
Utako Shimoda was a Japanese educator and poet of the Meiji and Taishō period.
Wikipedia下村観山
Name contains 下
Kanzan Shimomura was the pseudonym of a nihonga painter in Meiji through to the early Shōwa period Japan.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 下 mean in Japanese?
下 means below, down, descend, give, low, inferior.
How do you read 下?
On'yomi: カ、ゲ (KA, GE). Kun'yomi: した、しも、もと、さ.げる、さ.がる、くだ.る、くだ.り、くだ.す、-くだ.す、くだ.さる、お.ろす、お.りる (shita, shimo, moto, sageru, sagaru, kudaru, kudari, kudasu, kudasu, kudasaru, orosu, oriru).
How many strokes does 下 have?
下 has 3 strokes. Its radical is 一 (one).
Is 下 a good kanji for a tattoo?
下 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means below, down, descend, give, low, inferior. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.