降
descend, precipitate, fall, surrender
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
- ゴ
Kun'yomi
- お.りる
- お.ろす
- ふ.る
- ふ.り
- くだ.る
- くだ.す
Nanori
- ふり
- ふる
Meaning
降 centers on downward movement: descending, falling, or precipitating. The surrender sense extends this as lowering oneself or yielding.
Most common words using 降
22 of 202- 以降いこうN3
on and after; from ... onward; since
- 降るふるN5
to fall (of rain, snow, ash, etc.); to come down
- 降伏こうふくN1
surrender; capitulation; submission
- 降下こうか
descent; fall; drop; (atmospheric) depression
- 降りるおりるN5
to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down
- 降板こうばん
leaving the mound; being knocked out
- 降水こうすいN1
rainfall; precipitation
- 下降かこうN2
descent; fall; drop; decline; downturn; subsidence
- 降格こうかく
demotion; relegation; downgrading
- 投降とうこう
surrender
- 降雨こうう
rainfall; rain
- 霜降りしもふり
speckled with white; salt-and-pepper (pattern, fabric, etc.)
- 降参こうさんN1
surrender; submission; capitulation
- 降雪こうせつ
snowfall; snow
- 飛び降りるとびおりるN1
to jump down; to leap down; to jump off; to leap off
- 土砂降りどしゃぶりN1
downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain; pelting rain; cloudburst
- 乗降じょうこう
getting on and off; embarking and disembarking
- 乗り降りのりおりN1
getting on and off (a vehicle); boarding and alighting
- 雨降りあめふりN1
rainfall; rainy weather; rain
- 滑降かっこう
descent (esp. in skiing); sliding down; skiing down
- 降水量こうすいりょうN2
amount of precipitation; precipitation
- 雨が降るあめがふる
to rain
Study
Etymology
降 combines ⻖ (hill, mound) with 夅, which likely represents two feet descending. Together they suggest coming down a hill or slope.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side ⻖ is a hill, and the right side 夅 looks like feet stepping downward. Picture walking down a hill: that is descending.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, imagine a coat sliding down a hill: coat -> コウ, and the coat descends the slope.