Translation guide
The English word "drop" has many meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: letting something fall, falling down, reducing, stopping, and more.
To release something from your hand so it falls, or to accidentally let something fall.
General verb for dropping something. Can be intentional or accidental.
I dropped the cup and broke it.
I dropped my wallet.
Casual/spoken variant of 落とす. Often implies accidental dropping.
I dropped my phone.
Formal/technical term for dropping something from a height, like a bomb or supplies.
They dropped relief supplies from the plane.
Something falls from a higher place to a lower place.
To make something lower in level, amount, or intensity.
To lower something (transitive). Used for prices, volume, temperature, etc.
To drop the price.
Please turn down the volume.
To go down, decrease (intransitive). Used for temperature, prices, etc. falling by themselves.
Can also mean to reduce something like speed, quality, or rank.
Formal term for a decline or drop in quality, ability, etc.
The quality dropped.
To stop doing something, abandon a plan, or quit a habit.
To take someone somewhere by car and leave them there.
To give someone a ride and drop them off. The 'dropping off' nuance is understood from context.
I'll drop you off at the station.
To let someone out of a vehicle. More direct 'drop off'.
Please drop me off here.
A very small round amount of liquid.
落とす (おとす) is transitive: someone drops something. 落ちる (おちる) is intransitive: something falls by itself. Be careful not to mix them up.
I dropped the cup.
The cup fell.
The phrase 'drop by' (visit casually) is not translated with 落とす. Use 寄る (よる) or 立ち寄る (たちよる) instead.
I'll drop by on my way home.
気温が下がった。
The temperature dropped.
Sales are dropping.
To drop speed / slow down.
旅行の計画を取りやめた。
We dropped our travel plans.
その番組は打ち切られた。
The show was dropped (cancelled).
涙のしずく
a teardrop