下 means “down / below”

Watch: Gen and Shibamaru learn 下

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Where 下 comes from

下 began as a short mark below a base line: something below.

Stroke order (3 strokes)

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3

Words with 下

• 

  下した

  SHITA

  under / below

• 

  靴下くつした

  KUTSUSHITA

  socks

• 

  地下鉄ちかてつ

  CHIKATETSU

  subway

• 

  下手へた

  HETA

  bad at

The part of each word written with 下 is shown in orange. Audio: the readings from our video.

Reading tips

• 下手 (HETA, bad at) is a special reading of the two kanji together. Its opposite is 上手 (JOUZU, good at).
• 地下鉄 (CHIKATETSU, subway) is 地 (ground) + 下 (below) + 鉄 (iron): the train under the ground. Here 下 is read か (KA).
• ください (KUDASAI, please) can be written 下さい, but most people write it in hiragana.

Other readings of 下

• ゲ上下 じょうげ JOUGE up and down
• さ(げる)下げる さげる SAGERU to lower
• くだ(さる)下さい ください KUDASAI please (give me)
• お(りる)下りる おりる ORIRU to go down

These readings are not in the video. You will meet them later.

In the video

• Gen靴の 下だから 靴下か！Shoe + under = socks!
• Shibamaruおぼえやすいね！Easy to remember!

Example sentences

• いすの 下に ねこが います。

  ISU NO SHITA NI NEKO GA IMASU.

  There is a cat under the chair.

• 地下鉄で いきます。

  CHIKATETSU DE IKIMASU.

  I go by subway.

Keep learning kanji

• GENKI I Textbook (3rd Edition)

  Beginner

  A popular first textbook used in many university courses. Each lesson has a dialogue, grammar explanations in English, and plenty of practice.

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• Minna no Nihongo Beginner I Main Textbook (2nd Edition)

  Beginner

  Written entirely in Japanese, with lots of sentence-pattern practice. Use it together with the Translation & Grammar Notes book.

  View on Amazon