下: below; under

 

下 xià

verb | measurement word
: down; downwards; below; lower
: later; next (week etc); second (of two parts)
: to decline; to go down; bring down
: to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc)
: measure word to show the frequency of an action
: inferior

Kun Reading

下 | した shita

noun
: below; down; under; younger (e.g. daughter)
: bottom
: beneath; underneath
: just after; right after
: inferiority; one’s inferior (i.e. one’s junior)
: trade-in
: preliminary; preparatory

下 | もと moto

adverb
: under (esp. influence or guidance)

下 | しも shimo

noun
: lower reaches (of a river)
: bottom; lower part
: lower half (of the body, esp. the privates); feces; urine; menses
: end; far from the imperial palace (i.e. far from Kyoto, esp. of western Japan)
: (No-adjective) dirty (e.g. dirty jokes, etc.)

下り | くだり kudari

noun | noun suffix
: down-train (going away from Tokyo)
: down-slope; downward going

下さい | ください kudasai

expression
: (Usually written using kana alone) (Honorific or respectful language) please give me
: (after te-form of a verb or a noun prefixed with o- or go-) please do for me

下げる | さげる sageru

ichidan verb | transitive verb
: to hang; to lower; to move back; to wear; to dismiss; to grant

 Usage:

下午 xia4wu3: afternoon; p.m. [午後 | ごご gogo: afternoon; p.m.]

下去 xia4qu4: to go down; to descend; to go on; to continue; (of a servant) to withdraw

下半 xia4 ban4: second half [かはん kahan: lower half]

下課[课] xia4ke4: to finish class

下班 xia4ban1: to get off work [しもはん shimohan: (place-name)]

下雨 xia4yu3: to rain

雨下 | うか uka: raining; downpour
降る | ふる furu: to precipitate; to fall (e.g. rain)

下劣 xia4lie4: inferior [げれつ geretsu: base; mean; vulgar]

下流 xia4liu2: lower course of a river; low-class; mean and lowly; vulgar/obscene
[かりゅう karyuu: downstream; lower reaches of a river; lower classes]

下令 xia4ling4: to give an order; to command

下毒 xia4du2: poisoned

下載 [载] xia4zai3: to download

以下 yi3xia4: that level or lower; that amount or less; the following

[以下 | いか ika OR いげ ige: not exceeding; and downward; … and below
: below (e.g. standard); under (e.g. a level);
: the below-mentioned; the following; the rest]

地下 di4xia4: underground; subterranean; covert

地下 | ちか chika: basement; cellar; underground place;
: underground; below ground;
: secret; under cover;
: underground (railway); subway; metro

鄉下 xiang1xia4: countryside; rural

樓[楼]下 lou2xia4: downstairs

天下 tian1xia4: land under heaven; the whole world; the whole of China; realm; rule

天下 | てんか tenka OR てんが tenga OR てんげ tenge: the whole world
: the whole country;
: society; the public;
: supremacy over a nation; government of a country; the ruling power;
: having one’s own way; doing as one pleases;
: peerless; incomparable; superlative; world-famous;
: shogun (Edo period)

上下 shang4xia4: up and down; top and bottom; old and new; length; about

上下 | うえした ueshita OR しょうか shouka OR じょうか jouka
: top and bottom; up and down; high and low; above and below; upper and lower ends
: upside-down]

OR
じょうげ jouge: top and bottom; high and low; above and below; upper and lower ends; up and down
: going up and down; rising and falling; fluctuating;
: going and coming back;
: upper and lower classes; ruler and ruled; the government and the people;
: first and second volumes
OR
かみしも kamishimo: samurai costume; old ceremonial costume
: top and bottom; up and down; high and low; above and below; upper and lower ends

閣下 ge2xia4: (honorific) your majesty; sire [かっか kakka]

上山下鄉 shang4shan1 xia4xiang1: go & work in the countryside and in the mountainous back-country (educated young people did it as part of a socialist education)

Japanese common word
下々 | しもじも shimojimo OR | したじた shitajita: the lower classes; the common people
下り | くだり kudari: down-train (going away from Tokyo); down-slope; downward going
下司 | げす gesu: low-life; sleezebag; boor;
:person of humble rank; humble person; peasant; menial; petty official
下着 | したぎ shitagi: underwear
下貼 | したばり shitabari: undercoat; first coat

Japanese expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語 | idiomatic expression | proverb
上と下 | うえとした ue to shita: above and below

*月下老人 | げっかろうじん gekka roujin
: (yoji) go-between; matchmaker

**瓜田李下 | かでんりか kaden rika
: (yoji) Be careful not to invite the least suspicion; Leave no room for scandal
OR
李下に冠を整さず | りかにかんむりをたださず rika ni kanmuri o tadasazu
: (proverb) leave no room for scandal; don’t do anything that can be misinterpreted; don’t straighten your cap under a plum tree (because when you raise your hands it might look as if you’re trying to steal the plums)

***天下太平 | てんかたいへい tenka taihei
: (yoji) peaceful and tranquil (uneventful); peace reigns over the land; halcyon times of peace

女房天下 | にょうぼうてんか nyoubou tenka
: (yoji) husband being henpecked; house where the wife is the boss; petticoat government

上下になる | うえしたになる ueshita ni naru
: to be upside-down

頭を下げる | あたまをさげる atama o sageru
: to bow; to bow one’s head
: to apologize
: to bow to; to yield to; to admire

御免下さい | ごめんください gomen kudasai
: may I come in?
: (polite language) please forgive me; I’m sorry

御覧下さい | ごらんください goran kudasai
: (kana only) (honorific or respectful language) please look at it

下手の長談義 | へたのながだんぎ heta no naga dangi
: Brevity is the soul of wit

下にも置かない | したにもおかない shita ni mo okanai
: giving a royal welcome; extending every courtesy

三尺下がって師の影を踏まず | さんじゃくさがってしのかげをふまず sanjakusa gatteshi no kage o fumazu
: (proverb) a student must never forget to honor their teacher

下手な考え休むに似たり | へたなかんがえやすむににたり heta na kangae yasumu ni nitari
: take a rest rather than useless thinking

下手の考え休むに似たり | へたのかんがえやすむににたり heta no kangae yasumu ni nitari
: (proverb) It’s hard to tell a poor thinker from a sleeping one. Mickle fails that fools think

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 heta na teppou mo kazuucha ataru
: even the unskilled can succeed by a fluke given enough tries; even a poor marksman will hit the target with enough shots

****千里の行も足下に始まる | せんりのこうもそっかにはじまる senri no koumo sokka ni hajimaru
: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

卑下も自慢のうち | ひげもじまんのうち hige mo jiman no uchi
: (proverb) taking pride in one’s humility; he that humbleth himself wishes to be exalted; too much humility is pride

*****勇将の下に弱卒無し | ゆうしょうのもとにじゃくそつなし yuushou no moto ni jakusotsu nashi
: there are no cowardly soldiers under a superior general

恋に上下の差別無し | こいにじょうげのさべつなし koi ni jouge no sabetsu nashi
: Love makes men equal

桃李物言わざれども下自ずから蹊を成す | とうりものいわざれどもしたおのずからみちをなす
touri mono iwazaredo mo shita onozukara michi o nasu
: (proverb) A man of virtue will naturally attract admirers. Good wine speaks for itself

柳の下に何時も泥鰌は居ない | やなぎのしたにいつもどじょうはいない
yanagi no shita ni itsumo dojou wa inai
: Good luck does not always repeat itself

良いお年をお迎え下さい | よいおとしをおむかえください yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai
: Have a good New Year!

鼻の下を伸ばす | はなのしたをのばす hana no shita o nobasu
: to have a lewd look on one’s face; to ogle

金は天下の回り物 | かねはてんかのまわりもの kane wa tenka no mawari mono
: money comes and goes; money goes around and around

Chinese common word | chengyu 成語 | expression | idiom
下不來臺 [台] xia4 bu4 lai2 tai2
: to be put on the spot; to find oneself in an awkward situation

不愧下學 bu4 kui4 xia4 xue2
: not ashamed to learn from subordinates

寄人籬[篱]下 ji4 ren2 li2 xia4: to lodge under another person’s roof: to live relying on sb else’s charity

*月下老人 yue4 xia4 lao3 ren2
: minor divinity concerned with marriage; matchmaker; go-between

手下留情 shou3 xia4 liu2 qing2
: lit. start off leniently; please do not be too strict with me; Do not judge me too harshly. Look favorably on my humble efforts.

拖人下水 tuo1 ren2 xia4 shui3
: lit. to pull sb into the water; fig. to involve sb in a messy business; to get sb into trouble

**瓜田李下 gua1 tian2 li3 xia4
OR
瓜田不納履，李下不整冠 [瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠] gua1 tian2 bu4 na4 lü3 , li3 xia4 bu4 zheng3 guan1
: lit. don’t tie your shoelaces in a melon patch, and don’t adjust your hat under a plum tree; fig. don’t do anything that might arouse suspicion; innocent acts may be misconstrued

***天下太平 tian1 xia4 tai4 ping2
: the whole world at peace; peace and prosperity

上行下傚[效] shang4 xing2 xia4 xiao4
: subordinates follow the example of their superiors

一較高下 [一较高下] yi1 jiao4 gao1 xia4
: to compete against; to measure oneself against; to go head to head (see who is best)

先下手為強 [先下手为强] xian1 xia4 shou3 wei2 qiang2
: strike first and gain the upper hand. Making the first move is an advantage.

上梁不正下梁歪 shang4 liang2 bu4 zheng4 xia4 liang2 wai1
: lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked; fig. subordinates imitate their superiors’ vices

上有政策，下有對策 [上有政策，下有对策] shang4 you3 zheng4 ce4 , xia4 you3 dui4 ce4
: The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them

上有天堂，下有蘇杭 [上有天堂，下有苏杭] shang4 you3 tian1 tang2 , xia4 you3 su1 hang2
: lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭 below; fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven

****千里之行，始於足下 [千里之行，始于足下] qian1 li3 zhi1 xing2 , shi3 yu2 zu2 xia4
: lit. a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step; fig. big accomplishments come from an accumulation of little achievements made one by one

天下沒有不散的筵席 [天下没有不散的筵席] tian1 xia4 mei2 you3 bu4 san4 de5 yan2 xi2
: all good things must come to an end

天下無難事，只怕有心人 [天下无难事，只怕有心人] tian1 xia4 wu2 nan2 shi4 , zhi3 pa4 you3 xin1 ren2
: lit. nothing is difficult on this earth, if your mind is set

天下興亡，匹夫有責 [天下兴亡，匹夫有责] tian1 xia4 xing1 wang2 , pi3 fu1 you3 ze2
: The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone. Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.

*****強將手下無弱兵 [强将手下无弱兵] qiang2 jiang4 shou3 xia4 wu2 ruo4 bing1
: there are no poor soldiers under a good general

比上不足比下有餘 [比上不足比下有余] bi3 shang4 bu4 zu2 bi3 xia4 you3 yu2
: to fall short of the best but be better than the worst; can pass muster

放下屠刀，立地成佛 fang4 xia4 tu2 dao1 , li4 di4 cheng2 fo2
: to lay down the butcher’s knife, and become a Buddha on the spot. Instant rehabilitation; to repent and be absolved of one’s crimes

臺上一分鐘，臺下十年功 [台上一分钟，台下十年功] tai2 shang4 yi1 fen1 zhong1 , tai2 xia4 shi2 nian2 gong1
: ten years of practice for one minute on the stage

與全世界為敵，冒天下之大不韙 [与全世界为敌，冒天下之大不韪] yu3 quan2 shi4 jie4 wei2 di2 , mao4 tian1 xia4 zhi1 da4 bu4 wei3
: to defy world opinion; to risk universal condemnation