Quick answer
下 is the kanji for "Below". The most common reading is した (shita). Mnemonics and example sentences are listed below.
Meaning
Below
Also : Low · Down · Descend
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Readings
kun = Japanese reading · on = Chinese reading
Practice writing
Trace the kanji stroke by stroke with a visual guide.
Stroke Order
3 strokes
Radicals
Memory Aid
An arrow pointing downward beneath a horizontal line — gravity pulls everything below that baseline toward the earth with inevitable force.
した (shita) sounds like 'she-ta' — she-ta (she took) the elevator down.
Example Sentences
地下鉄で行きましょう。
ちかてつでいきましょう。
Let's go by subway.
本は机の下です。
ほんはつくえのしたです。
The book is under the desk.
Vocabulary using 下
Grammar to study at this level
Last updated Jun 11, 2026
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