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Kotomora

低

lower, short, humble

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 500Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • テイ

Kun'yomi

  • ひく.い
  • ひく.める
  • ひく.まる

Meaning

低 centers on being low in position, height, or status: physically short, lowered, or metaphorically humble.

Most common words using 低

20 of 276
  • 低いひくい
    N5

    low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.)

  • 低てい
    N2

    low (level, value, price, etc.)

  • 最低さいてい
    N3

    least; lowest; minimum

  • 低下ていか
    N2

    fall; decline; lowering; deterioration; degradation

  • 最低限さいていげん
    N1

    minimum

  • 低迷ていめい
    N1

    hanging low (of clouds)

  • 低温ていおん
    N1

    low temperature

  • 低めひくめ

    lowish; somewhat low; on the low side; low (ball)

  • 低音ていおん
    N1

    low tone; bass; low voice

  • 低減ていげん

    decrease; reduction; fall; depreciation; mitigation

  • 低速ていそく

    low speed; slow speed

  • 高低こうてい
    N1

    high and low; rise and fall

  • 低空ていくう

    low altitude; low sky

  • 低俗ていぞく

    vulgar; lowbrow; coarse

  • 低層ていそう

    low-rise (architecture)

  • 低調ていちょう

    inactive; slow; sluggish; slack; low tone; undertone; dullness; (market) weakness

  • 低能ていのう

    low intelligence; low IQ; feeble-mindedness; imbecility

  • 低地ていち

    depression; lowlands; low ground; bottom land; plain

  • 低木ていぼく

    shrub; shrubbery

  • 低額ていがく

    small amount (of money); small sum

Explore all words using 低 →

Study

Etymology

低 combines 亻 (person) with 氐, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of being low or base. The component 氐 itself is associated with lowering or the bottom.

Meaning mnemonic

A person 亻 beside 氐, a shape suggesting something low or base. Imagine a person bending down low to touch the ground.

Reading mnemonic

For テイ, picture a low table (テーブル, tēburu) where a humble person sits: table -> テイ, and the person stays low.