Translation guide
Describes a sharp, abrupt decrease in level, amount, value, or physical position. Japanese uses different words depending on what is dropping and the context.
sudden drop (in price/value)
Most common for financial or numerical contexts.
sudden drop (physical fall)
Used for airplanes, elevators, etc.
To express a sudden fall in statistics, market values, temperature, etc.
Most common for sudden drops in prices, stock values, or numerical indices. Often used in news and business contexts.
Stock prices suddenly dropped.
The temperature plummeted.
Literally 'sudden descent', used for physical drops (aircraft, elevators) and sometimes metaphorically for rankings or popularity.
The airplane made a sudden drop.
His popularity took a nosedive.
A more colloquial way to say 'suddenly drop'. Can be used for various things like temperature, grades, or volume.
The temperature suddenly dropped.
Sales suddenly dropped.
To describe something or someone falling abruptly from a height.
General term for falling, often used in compound with 'sudden' (突然の落下).
A rock suddenly dropped.
Colloquial way to say something suddenly fell. Works for objects, but also for things like phone signal or battery level.
My phone suddenly dropped (from my hand).
The battery suddenly dropped.
To express a sharp worsening of a situation, health, or social standing.
Means 'sudden turn' or 'abrupt change', often used in '急転直下' (sudden change for the worse).
His condition suddenly deteriorated.
Colloquial term for a sudden, significant drop in reputation, trust, or quality. Often used with する.
His reputation took a sudden drop.
急落 is for abstract drops (prices, temperature), while 急降下 is for physical descent. Using 急降下 for stock prices sounds odd.
Stock prices dropped sharply.
The plane dove suddenly.
English 'sudden drop' can often be expressed with a single Japanese verb like 急落する or 急降下する. Using 突然の落下 is grammatically correct but less natural in many contexts.
There was a sudden drop in temperature.
The company's profits saw a sudden drop.