Below and lowering with 下
下 means below, down, or lower. It describes position or movement beneath something and extends in compounds to lower rank, decline, and rejection.
Etymology
This kanji is an ideogram, with the short stroke written beneath a baseline to indicate what is below.
Clothing
下着 (Underwear)
下着 means underwear or clothes worn beneath outer clothing.
It combines 下 (beneath) with 着 (wear) to show clothing worn underneath.
While changing into her uniform, Rize hid in the closet when she sensed someone unfamiliar nearby. Cocoa, feeling as though she was being watched, opened the closet door.
- ココア:
- 「下着姿の…ドロボーさん？」
- “A burglar… in their underwear?”
- リゼ:
- 「完全に気配を殺してたつもりなのに」
- “I thought I completely suppressed my presence, and yet...”
Levels
低下 (Decline)
低下 means a decline or drop in value, level, quality, or degree.
It combines 低 (low) with 下 (down) to show something going downward.
Jumbo helps his friend Yousuke move into his new house. After unboxing things, Yousuke stops for a break.
- 葉介:
- 「なんか俺 体力低下してんなあ… 手がふるふる…」
- “Man, I feel like my stamina is dropping... My hands are shaking...”
- ジャンボ:
- 「おまえさ 近所にあいさつで配る粗品とか用意してるか？」
- “Hey, are you preparing any little gifts to hand out to your neighbors when you go around saying hello?”
Movement
落下 (Fall)
落下 means a fall, drop, or descent. It is used for things physically coming down, such as rocks, rain, or a person falling from a height.
It combines 落 (fall) with 下 (down) to show something falling downward.
After learning the fortunes she told didn’t come true for Chino and Rize, Cocoa lists the bad fortune she ran into.
- ココア:
- 「私あんこが落下してきたりスカートめくれちゃってたりシャロちゃんにお金投げられたり色々あって大変だったよー」
- “All sorts of things happened to me, like Anko falling on me, my skirt flipping up, and having Sharo-chan throw money at me, so it was rough.”
Places
廊下 (Hallway)
廊下 means a corridor or hallway connecting rooms in a building.
It combines 廊 (covered passage) with 下 (under) to show a passage under a roof.
Tomo stands from her desk and raises her hand.
- とも:
- 「先生 宿題忘れました！だから廊下に立ちます！」
- “Teacher, I forgot my homework! So I'll stand in the hall!”
Status
部下 (Subordinate)
部下 means a subordinate, someone who works under a superior in an organization or chain of command.
It combines 部 (section) with 下 (lower) to show someone lower in position.
Cocoa thinks Rize is nervous about staying overnight with her and Chino.
- リゼ:
- 「いや… 親父の部下に誘われたワイルドなキャンプしか経験した事ないから…」
- “Well... I've only had the experience of those wild camping trips my dad's subordinates invited me on...”
- ココア:
- 「ワイルド？」
- “Wild?”
