下 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 下 is all about down, below, and under. You'll meet it in three main roles: as a standalone position word (下, した, "below / the bottom"), as part of action verbs that mean "go down" (下がる "to drop," 下りる "to descend"), and as a building block in compound words (地下 "underground," 地下鉄 "subway"). Wherever you spot 下, you can safely bet the meaning involves something lower or downward — the opposite of 上 ("up / above").
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | した | 下 (below, under), 靴下 (くつした, socks) |
| kun'yomi | しも | 下 (しも, lower part) — less common |
| kun'yomi | さ.がる | 下がる (to go down, to drop) |
| kun'yomi | お.りる | 下りる (to descend, to get off) |
| on'yomi | カ | 地下 (ちか, underground), 地下鉄 (subway) |
| on'yomi | ゲ | 下手 (へた, unskilled) — irregular |
下 has an unusually large number of readings, but for N5 you really only need a few. The everyday star is した, the position word. The two verbs 下がる (さ.がる) and 下りる (お.りる) cover "going down," and in compounds you'll mostly see the on'yomi カ (as in 地下). Save しも and ゲ for later — but do note the tricky word 下手 below.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 3. Write the long horizontal line first, then the vertical line coming down from its center, and finally the short tick on the right. That's it — three quick strokes.
- Radical: the radical is 一 (one), the single horizontal line that forms the top of the character. That top line acts like a "ground level," and everything dropping below it points downward — a tidy hint at the meaning "below."
A great memory trick: 下 looks like a line (the ground) with a mark hanging beneath it. Compare it to 上, which has a mark rising above the line. Down vs. up — the shapes tell the whole story.
Common words using 下
Watch the readings shift: standalone position words and the verbs use the kun'yomi (した, さがる, おりる), while the compound 地下 flips to the on'yomi カ. And keep an eye on 下手 — it's read へた (an irregular, special reading), not "shimote" or "kashita." It's a word you'll use constantly, so memorize it as a set.
Example sentences
ヤッタンのボールは机の下に入りました。
ヤッタンの ボールは つくえの したに はいりました。
Yattan's ball went under the desk.
下 — the kun'yomi した, the everyday position word.
モチと弟は階段を下りて、地下のお店に行きました。
モチと おとうとは かいだんを おりて、ちかの おみせに いきました。
Mochi and my little brother went down the stairs to the basement shop.
Two readings in one sentence: 下りて (kun, お.りる) and 地下 (on, カ).
先生は「ヤッタンは絵が下手だけど、毎日上手になっているよ」と言いました。
せんせいは「ヤッタンは えが へただけど、まいにち じょうずに なっているよ」と いいました。
Sensei said, Yattan is bad at drawing, but he's getting better every day.
下手 (へた) is an irregular reading — memorize it as a whole word.
Quick recap
- 下 = below / down / under; just 3 strokes; radical is 一 (one).
- した is the everyday position word; さ.がる / お.りる are the "go down" verbs.
- In compounds it's usually the on'yomi カ (地下 = ちか).
- 下手 = へた is an irregular reading — learn it by heart.
- It's the mirror image of 上 ("up / above"): mark below the line vs. mark above it.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 下 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 下 in 下 (alone) vs 地下?
On its own as a position word it's the kun'yomi した (下 = した, 'below / under'). In the compound 地下 it's the on'yomi カ (地下 = ちか, 'underground'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds tend to take the on'yomi.
Why is 下手 read へた and not 'shimote' or 'shitate'?
下手 (へた, 'unskilled') is a special, irregular reading that doesn't follow the usual on/kun patterns. Just memorize it as a whole word — it's a very common N5 vocabulary item.
What's the difference between 下がる and 下りる?
Both involve going down. 下がる (さがる) means a value or level 'drops / goes down' (like temperature or prices). 下りる (おりる) means to physically 'descend' or 'get off,' as with stairs or a train.
How many strokes does 下 have, and what's its radical?
下 has just 3 strokes. Its radical is 一 ('one'), the horizontal line across the top that acts like a ground level, with the rest of the character dropping below it.