lower reaches (of a river)
Specifically refers to the downstream portion of a river. Antonym: 上 (かみ) for upper reaches.
Antonyms: 上 (かみ)
この川の下には小さな村がある。
There is a small village in the lower reaches of this river.
He made everyone laugh with a dirty joke.
General spatial sense: the lower portion of something, opposite of 上 (かみ).
棚の下に本が落ちている。
A book has fallen under the shelf.
end; far from the imperial palace; western Japan
Historical or geographical term: the area distant from Kyoto, especially western regions. Also used in compounds like 下京 (しもぎょう).
下の地方から都へ上る。
To go up to the capital from the distant provinces.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Used attributively with の to describe something crude or obscene, such as jokes or stories.
彼は下の話ばかりする。
He only tells dirty jokes.
下半身 is the plain, clinical term for the lower half of the body, while 下 (しも) is a softer, more euphemistic way to refer to the same area or its functions.
upper reaches of a river; upstream · upper part; top; upper half of the body · long ago; former times · beginning; first part · person of high rank; the emperor; a noble · the government; the imperial court; the authorities · the imperial capital; Kyoto; the capital region; direction of the palace · head of a table; seat of honor · wife; mistress of a restaurant; female proprietor
下 read as しも refers to the lower reaches, lower body, or vulgar things in specific fixed usages, while 下 read as した is the everyday word for 'under' or 'below' in space.
second half of the year; second half of the fiscal year
leeward; downwind; lee
downstream; lower reaches
second half of the fiscal year
the lower classes; the common people
downwards direction; downstream
down; below; downward
conjugation of ichidan verbs ending in -eru
last part of a poem or Bible verse
Standard kanji spelling for the reading しも.
The reading しも is a native Japanese word for 'lower' or 'downward', historically contrasted with かみ (upper). The kanji 下 is conventionally used for this meaning.
downhill; decline; waning
right-hand opponent; player to one's right
lower seat; seat at the bottom of the table
lower part; foot; lower direction · stage right (actor's POV); left part of the stage (audience's POV)
lower classes; common people
sitz bath; hip bath; lower-body bath · lower bath; lower pool (onsen)