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下

下 — below, down, descend

Learn the correct stroke order for 下 (below), a 3-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 13 strokes

Stroke Order

123
Stroke 0 / 3
On'yomi (音読み)カka、ゲge
Kun'yomi (訓読み)したshita、しもshimo、もとmoto、さ.げるsageru、さ.がるsagaru、くだ.るkudaru、くだ.りkudari、くだ.すkudasu、-くだ.すkudasu、くだ.さるkudasaru、お.ろすorosu、お.りるoriru
Strokes3
Radical一
Frequency#97
Meaningsbelow, down, descend, give, low, inferior

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 3 — start from the green dot

Common Words

以下いかnot exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under
右下みぎしたlower rightnoun
下すくだすto make a decision; to draw a conclusionverb
下りくだりdown-train; train heading toward the ending point of its routenoun
下るくだるto descend; to go down; to come downverb
下位かいlow rank; lower position; subordinate positionnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 下 (below) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 3 strokes with radical 一.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 下 is #97, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

以下いか — not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under
右下みぎした — lower right
下すくだす — to make a decision; to draw a conclusion

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (一)

一one七seven丁street三three上above与bestow万ten thousand丈length

Same reading

外outside何what火fire

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 下 have?

The kanji 下 (below) has 3 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 下?

下 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 下 mean?

下 means: below, down, descend, give, low, inferior. On'yomi readings: カ, ゲ. Kun'yomi readings: した, しも, もと, さ.げる, さ.がる, くだ.る, くだ.り, くだ.す, -くだ.す, くだ.さる, お.ろす, お.りる.

What JLPT level is 下?

下 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.