下か流りゅう

か

りゅ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

downstream; lower reaches of a river

Refers to the part of a river closer to the mouth, or the direction toward it. Often used in contrast with 上流 (upstream).

lower classes; lower strata of society

Figurative use referring to people or groups in the lower social or economic tiers. Antonym: 上流 (upper classes).

Antonyms: 上流

〈川かわ〉の下か流りゅうに位い置ちするto be located in the lower reaches of a river
この町まちは利と根ね川がわの下か流りゅうに位い置ちしている。
This town is located in the lower reaches of the Tone River.

下か層そう sense 2
下層 is a plain sociological term for the lower strata of society, while 下流 uses the river metaphor and often carries a slightly more literary or journalistic tone.
下しもN3
下流 is the common, neutral word for the downstream part of a river, while 下 (しも) is a more literary or traditional term for the same idea.
川かわ下しも
下流 is the more technical/formal term for the lower course of a river, whereas 川下 is the everyday word and can also describe direction (toward the river's mouth).

上じょう流りゅうN1sense 2
upper reaches; upstream · upper classes; high society
源げん流りゅう
下流 means the downstream, lower part of a river, the opposite of 源流's upstream headwaters.
中ちゅう流りゅうN1
下流 refers to the lower reaches of a river or a lower social stratum, the downward counterpart to 中流 in both river and social-class senses.

中ちゅう流りゅうN1
中流 refers to the middle reaches of a river (or the middle class), which learners can confuse with 下流's lower reaches/lower class meaning.

Compound of 下 (lower) and 流 (flow/current). The figurative social sense is a metaphorical extension of the literal river meaning.