Today’s Kanji – Down 下 (shita) – Learn Japanese

The kanji Down “下” (shita) has various pronunciations depending on the context and the words in which it is used. It is one of the kanji with the most pronunciations.

– “Shita” : This is the most common pronunciation of “下”. It is used when referring to the “down” or “under” direction. For example, “下に行く” (shita ni iku) means “to go down.”

– “Ge” or “ka” : These pronunciations are used in combination with other kanji to form specific words. For example, “下記” (geki) means “next” or “the next thing”, and “下手” (heta) means “clumsy” or “not being good at something”.

– “Kudari” : This pronunciation is used when referring to the action of “descending” or “going down”. For example, “降下” (kouka) means “descent” or “fall”.

– “Ori” or “Shimo” : These pronunciations are used to indicate “inferiority” or “lower hierarchical position”. For example, “後輩” (kouhai) means “person of lower position” or “youngest person in a hierarchy”.

One of the reasons why this kanji has so many pronunciations is believed to be because throughout Japanese history, different dialects and periods have left their mark on the language, leading to regional variations in the pronunciation of the kanji. . Some pronunciations may have been more common in certain regions or at certain times in Japanese history.

Here are some words in which the kanji “下” (shita) appears in Japanese:

下手 (heta): Means “clumsy” or “not being good at something.” For example, if someone is not good at drawing, they can say “絵が下手” (e ga heta), which means “to be bad at drawing.”

下さい (kudasai): This word is very important and is used to express “please” when making a request. For example, if you want to order something in a restaurant, you can say “水を下さい” (mizu or kudasai), which means “please, water.”

下記 (kaki): Means “next” or “what follows.” For example, in a document, you can use “下記の項目” (kaki no koumoku), which means “the following items”.

下りる (oriru): Means “to descend” or “to go down.” For example, if you want to say “go downstairs,” you can say “階段を下りる” (kaidan or oriru).

下町 (shitamachi): Refers to the “traditional center” of a city or old neighborhood. For example, in Tokyo, Asakusa is known as a famous shitamachi neighborhood.

下品 (gehin): Means “rude” or “vulgar.” For example, if something is offensive or indecent, you can say “下品な言葉” (gehin na kotoba), which means “vulgar words.”