下

下 U+4E0B, 下 ← 上[U+4E0A] CJK Unified Ideographs 丌 →[U+4E0C] Stroke order Stroke order

下 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+2, 3 strokes, Cangjie input 一卜 (MY), four-corner 10230, composition ⿱一卜)

• 吓, 圷, 虾, 乤, 忑, 颪, 芐, 雫, 梺, 疜, 閇

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 76, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14
• Dae Jaweon: page 147, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 7, character 1
• Unihan data for U+4E0B

simp. and trad. 下 alternative forms 丅 ancient𠄟

Ideogram (指事): short horizontal below long arc (contrast 上).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(k/g)la-k/j/t (“to fall”) (STEDT):

• inside Sinitic, cognate with 落 (OC *ɡ·raːɡ, “to fall, to drop”), 露 (OC *ɡ·raːɡs, “dew”), 陊 (OC *l’aːlʔ, *l’alʔ, “to collapse”) and 阤 (OC *l’alʔ, *hljalʔ, “hillside, slope”);
• outside Sinitic, cognate with Mizo tla ~ tlâk (“to fall”), thla ~ thlâk (“to drop”), Burmese ကျ (kya., “to fall”) and ချ (hkya., “to drop”).

Schuessler (2007) instead proposed an Austroasiatic origin by comparing 下 (OC *ɡraːʔ, “to descend, down, below”) to Khmer [script needed] (gra’ka, “be low, debased”); additionally, he suggested that Sino-Tibetan influence had possibly caused the weakening of foreign final *-k to OC final *-ʔ. He derives the departing tone (去聲) pronunciation via two derivations:

• 下 (OC *ɡraːs, “to be put down”) is an exopassive derivation (ibid.);
• 下 (OC *ɡraːs, “to descend, to fall”) is a later, general departing tone derivative (ibid.).

下

1. lower part of; under; beneath 樹下／树下 ― shùxià ― under the tree 樓下／楼下 ― lóuxià ― downstairs
2. under the influence of; with 在這些條件下／在这些条件下 ― zài zhèxiē tiáojiàn xià ― under these conditions 在朋友的幫助下／在朋友的帮助下 ― zài péngyǒu de bāngzhù xià ― with help from friends 在藥師指導下／在药师指导下 ― zài yàoshī zhǐdǎo xià ― under the instruction of a pharmacist
3. lower; located below 下層／下层 ― xiàcéng ― lower level
4. later; next 下個世紀／下个世纪 ― xià ge shìjì ― the next century 下卷 ― xiàjuǎn ― Volume II 下一站 ― xià yī zhàn ― The next station is… (used in public transport announcements)
5. (literary, archaic) lesser (that which is lower in rank, quality, or significance)
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) inferior, poor 下人 ― xiàrén ― servant 下品 ― xiàpǐn ― inferior products
7. (literary or Xiang) low

• 上 (shàng)
• (Min) 頂
• (Wu) 浪

下

1. to go down; to descend (as complement) downwards; down 你快下來。／你快下来。 ― Nǐ kuài xià lái. ― Come down here. 下海 ― xiàhǎi ― to go to sea 下樓／下楼 ― xiàlóu ― to go downstairs 下山 ― xiàshān ― to go down the mountain 走下 ― zǒuxià ― to walk down 落下 ― luòxià ― to fall down 跳下深淵／跳下深渊 ― tiàoxià shēnyuān ― to jump down to an abyss
   1. (as complement) completely, thoroughly 拿下 ― náxià ― to capture; to arrest 打下基礎／打下基础 ― dǎxià jīchǔ ― to lay the foundation
2. to get out of; to leave; to alight; to get off 下船 ― xiàchuán ― to disembark from a boat 下床 ― xiàchuáng ― to get out of bed
   1. to finish, to complete 下班 ― xiàbān ― to get off work 下課／下课 ― xiàkè ― to finish class
3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to go to somewhere considered poor or inferior 下鄉／下乡 ― xiàxiāng ― to go to the countryside 下館子／下馆子 ― xiàguǎnzǐ ― to go to the restaurant 下野 ― xiàyě ― to be forced to step down
4. to give or issue something to an inferior person 下令 ― xiàlìng ― to issue an order
   1. to send an invitation 下戰書／下战书 ― xià zhànshū ― to send a letter of challenge
5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to stay the night 下榻 ― xiàtà ― to stay the night
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to conquer 連下三城／连下三城 ― lián xià sān chéng ― to achieve three goals successively (literally, “to conquer three forts successively”)
7. (colloquial) short for 下載 (“to download”) 先去下個軟件。／先去下个软件。 ― Xiān qù xià ge ruǎnjiàn. ― Download the software first.
8. (colloquial) short for 下線 (“to log out”)

• 落 (luò)

下

1. (transitive) (with limited objects, often figuratively) to put something down
   1. to use; to start doing something; to put in an effort 下手 ― xiàshǒu ― to start doing (literally, “to put the hands”) 下筆／下笔 ― xiàbǐ ― to start writing (literally, “to put the inkbrush down”) 下腳／下脚 ― xiàjiǎo ― to have a small place to stand in (literally, “to put the feet down”) 下藥／下药 ― xiàyào ― 1) to prescribe medicine; 2) to drug someone 下毒 ― xiàdú ― to poison someone 下力 ― xiàlì ― to make an effort 下命 [Hokkien] ― hē-miā [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to go all out 下心神 [Hokkien] ― hē sim-sîn [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to concentrate (on doing something)
   2. to sow; to plant 下種／下种 ― xiàzhǒng ― to sow seeds
   3. to give money; to put in capital 下本錢／下本钱 ― xià běnqián ― to put in capital
   4. (chiefly Mandarin, Jin) to rain or snow Synonym: 落 下雪 ― xiàxuě ― to snow 下雨 ― xiàyǔ ― to rain
   5. (chiefly Mandarin, Jin) to give birth (as an animal) Synonym: 生 下豬仔／下猪仔 ― xià zhūzaǐ ― to have piglets 下蛋 ― xiàdàn ― to lay eggs
   6. (Mandarin) to move (in chess)
   7. (chiefly Mandarin, Wu) to put food into boiling water 下麵條／下面条 ― xià miàntiáo ― to put noodles into boiling water 下餃子／下饺子 ― xià jiǎozǐ ― to put dumplings into boiling water
   8. (Hokkien) to bribe 下賂／下赂 [Hokkien] ― hē-lō͘ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to give a bribe
   9. (Min, Taishanese) to put in; to add (a condiment, etc.) 下鹽／下盐 [Hokkien] ― hē-iâm [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to put salt (in food)
   10. (Hokkien) to load; to ship
   11. (Hokkien) to make a vow 下願／下愿 [Hokkien] ― hē-goān [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to make a vow (to a god) 下神下佛 [Hokkien] ― hē-sîn hē-pu̍t [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― to vow to spirits and buddhas
   12. (Hokkien, Ningbonese) to fertilize
   13. (Ningbonese) to fill (ammunition)
   14. (Hakka) to remove, to take off (especially a hat) 下帽仔 [Sixian Hakka] ― há mo-é [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ] ― to take off the hat 窗簾下下來洗撇知 [Meixian Hakka, trad.]窗帘下下来洗撇知 [Meixian Hakka, simp.]cung1 liam2 ha3 ha1 loi2 sê3 pêd5 di1 [Hakka Transliteration Scheme]Take down the curtains and wash them.

simp. and trad. 下 alternative forms 吓 Cantonese

下

1. Classifier for the number of occurrences: time 敲三下門。／敲三下门。 ― Qiāo sān xià mén. ― Knock at the door three times.
2. (colloquial) (as complement) short for 一下
   1. for a short time; for one moment 等下 ― děng xià ― wait a moment
   2. give something a go 看下 ― kàn xià ― take a look 睇下 [Cantonese] ― tai2 haa5 [Jyutping] ― take a look 聞下／闻下 [Cantonese] ― man4 haa5 [Jyutping] ― try smelling it 開始做下工／开始做下工 [Cantonese] ― hoi1 ci2 zou6 haa5 gung1 [Jyutping] ― start doing some work
3. (historical, obsolete) synonym of 點 / 点 (diǎn): an ancient unit of time, equal to 24 minutes

simp. and trad. 下 alternative forms 低 Southern Min

下 (Eastern Min, Southern Min)

1. low; short

• “下”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014-
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00005
• “下”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: げ (ge, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kun: した (shita, 下, Jōyō)、しも (shimo, 下, Jōyō)、もと (moto, 下, Jōyō)、さがる (sagaru, 下がる, Jōyō)、さげる (sageru, 下げる, Jōyō)、くだる (kudaru, 下る, Jōyō)、くだす (kudasu, 下す, Jōyō)、くださる (kudasaru, 下さる, Jōyō)、おりる (oriru, 下りる, Jōyō)、おろす (orosu, 下ろす, Jōyō)

Kanji in this term 下 したGrade: 1 kun’yomi

/sita/ → /ɕita/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *sita.

• IPA(key): [ɕi̥ta̠]
• (Tokyo) した [shìtá] (Heiban – [0])[1][2]
• (Tokyo) した [shìtáꜜ] (Odaka – [2]) when preceded by any premodifier

下(した) • (shita)

1. the underneath Antonym: 上 (ue)
   • 桜(さくら)の樹(き)の下(した)には屍体(したい)が埋(う)まっている！これは信(しん)じていいことなんだよ。Sakura no ki no shita ni wa shitai ga umatte iru! Kore wa shinjite ii koto na n da yo.There are dead bodies buried under the cherry trees! This is something you should believe.

• 下(した)着(ぎ) (shitagi, “underwear”)
• 靴(くつ)下(した) (kutsushita, “socks”)
• 幕(まく)下(した) (makushita)

Kanji in this term 下 しもGrade: 1 kun’yomi

⟨simo1⟩ → /simʷo/ → /ɕimo/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *simo.

• IPA(key): [ɕimo̞]
• (Tokyo) しも [shìmóꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[1][2]

下(しも) • (shimo)

1. the lower portion, end Antonym: 上 (kami)
2. lowness in degree or rank
3. the downstream portion of a river
4. the downriver area
5. the area farther from the capital
6. the last part of a month, year, etc.
7. the lower half of the body
8. (euphemistic) private parts
9. (euphemistic) feces and urine, excrement

Kanji in this term 下 もとGrade: 1 kun’yomi Alternative spelling 許

Doublet of 本(もと) (moto, “origin”).[1][3]

• IPA(key): [mo̞to̞]
• (Tokyo) もと [mòtóꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[1][2]

下(もと) • (moto)

1. the lower portion, base
2. (under the) influence (of) 師匠(ししょう)の下(もと)で学(まな)ぶ ― shishō no moto de manabu ― to study under a master
3. (under a) circumstance; (with something as a) basis 同(どう)意(い)のもと、 […] ― dōi no moto, […] ― with permission, […]

Kanji in this term 下 げGrade: 1 goon

From Middle Chinese 下 (MC haeX|haeH).

• IPA(key): [ɡe̞]
• (Tokyo) げ [géꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
• (Tokyo) げ [gè] (Heiban – [0])[1][2]

下(げ) • (ge)

1. the last volume in a two- or three-volume set
2. bottom, low

Kanji in this term 下 かGrade: 1 kan’on

From Middle Chinese 下 (MC haeX|haeH).

• IPA(key): [ka̠]

下(か) • (ka)

1. down; below; beneath

下(か) • (-ka)

1. under a situation

• “下”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026

下 (eumhun 아래 하 (arae ha))

1. (only used in compounds) hanja form? of 하 (“below; bottom; lower; underneath”)

From Proto-Ryukyuan *sita, from Proto-Japonic *sita (“down”).

Attested in the 沖縄語典 (Okinawa Goten, “Okinawan Dictionary”) as しちや.[1]

Cognate with mainland Japanese 下 (shita).

下(しちゃ) (shicha)

1. the below

• 下(しちゃ)着(ぢ) (shichaji, “underwear”)

From Proto-Japonic *sita.

下 (sita) (kana した)

1. the below
   1. looking down
   2. a place

   Antonym: 上 (upe2)

• 下問ひ, 下訪ひ (sitado1pi1)
• 下泣き (sitanaki1)
• 天の下 (ame2no2sita)

• Japanese: 下 (shita)

From Proto-Japonic *simo.

下 (simo1 → simo) (kana しも)

1. the lower part Antonym: 上 (kami1)

• Japanese: 下 (shimo)

下: Hán Việt readings: hạ[1][2][3] 下: Nôm readings: hạ[1][2][3]

1. chữ Hán form of hạ (“to lower; to bring down; to take down”)

• 天下 (thiên hạ)