下|したshita[0]heiban (flat)
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- nounbelow; down; under; younger (e.g. daughter)
- nounbottom
- nounbeneath; underneath
- nounjust after; right afteras 下から, 下より, etc.
- no-adjectiveinferiority; one's inferior (i.e. one's junior)
- nountrade-in
- noun (prefix)preliminary; preparatory
- Related底そこNeutralThe very bottom of a container or body of water, as in 「鍋の底」「海の底」; 「下」 just means below and does not have to be the bottom.
- Related底辺ていへんNeutralThe base of a triangle or other figure, or the bottom of society, as in 「社会の底辺」; 「下」 is the general word for below.
- Related麓ふもとNeutralSpecifically the foot of a mountain and the area around it, as in 「富士山の麓」; only mountains take this word, while 「下」 is a general direction word.
- Related裾すそNeutralThe hem of a garment or trouser cuffs, also the lower edge of curtains or a mountain foot, as in 「ズボンの裾」; it stresses the lower edge of an object.
- Related基部きぶWrittenWritten/formal prose for the root or basal part of an object, used in technical and anatomical descriptions; 「下」 only indicates direction.
- Related基底きていWrittenWritten/formal prose for a foundation or basis, or a base in mathematics; not used in everyday speech for what is below.
- Related底面ていめんWrittenThe bottom face of an object, as in 「箱の底面」, and a geometry term; limited to the surface itself, not the bottom part in general.
- Related底部ていぶWrittenThe bottom part of an object, as in 「容器の底部」; more written/formal than 「底」, while 「下」 can also mean the space below.
- Antonym上うえNeutralAbove, over, the top or surface; the exact opposite of 「下」 in position, and both are basic everyday words.
For below or underneath in general, 「下」 is the default. Use 「底」 for the bottom of a container or water, 「麓」 for a mountain foot, 「裾」 for hems and cuffs. In written prose, 「底部」 is the bottom part and 「底面」 the bottom face; 「底辺」, 「基部」 and 「基底」 are specialized.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


