下 — below / down

Grade 1か, げ, した, さ

下 (readings: か, げ, した, さ; Japanese kanji) means “below / down”. It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 地下 (underground).

What does 下 mean?

Kanji	下
Meaning	below / down
Readings	か, げ, した, さ
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school

How to read 下

下 is read か or げ or した or さ depending on the word.

Example words with 下

Example	地下 (underground)

Practice writing 下 — free

See 下's stroke order, take a quiz, and add it to your spaced-repetition review. KanjiSchool teaches all 1,026 Kyōiku kanji through real stories and news.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-07-14