降おりる

お

り

る

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

降りる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	降おりる	降おりない
Polite	降おります	降おりません
Past polite	降おりました	降おりませんでした
Past	降おりた	降おりなかった
Te-form	降おりて	降おりないで
Desire	降おりたい	降おりたくない
Potential	降おりられるalso 降おりれる	降おりられないalso 降おりれない
Passive	降おりられる	降おりられない
Causative	降おりさせる	降おりさせない
Causative passive	降おりさせられる	降おりさせられない
Volitional	降おりよう
Polite volitional	降おりましょう
Imperative	降おりろ	降おりるな
Conditional	降おりれば	降おりなければ
Tara conditional	降おりたら	降おりなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

go down; descend; come down

Physical movement from a higher place to a lower place, such as descending a mountain, stairs, or a slope. 下りる is often used for this sense.

山やまを降おりるのに三さん時じ間かんかかった。
It took three hours to descend the mountain.
階かい段だんを下おりるときは手てすりを使つかってください。
Please use the handrail when going down the stairs.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

get off; alight; disembark

Getting off a vehicle such as a bus, train, or horse. 降りる is the typical kanji for this sense.

次つぎの停てい留りゅう所じょでバスを降おりてください。
Please get off the bus at the next stop.
彼かれは馬うまから降おりて、歩あるき始はじめた。
He dismounted from the horse and started walking.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

step down; resign; withdraw

Leaving a position, role, or competition; quitting or retiring. Often used with 役職, ポスト, 試合, etc.

社しゃ長ちょうは責せき任にんを取とって役やく職しょくを降おりた。
The president took responsibility and stepped down from the position.
彼かれは怪け我がのため試し合あいを降おりることにした。
He decided to withdraw from the match due to injury.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be granted; be issued; be given

Receiving something official such as a permit, license, or visa. 下りる is especially common for this sense, emphasizing something coming down from authority.

やっとビザが下おりた。
The visa was finally issued.
許きょ可かが下おりるまで待またなければならない。
We have to wait until permission is granted.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

form; settle; fall

Natural phenomena such as frost, dew, or mist appearing. 降りる is the typical kanji.

今朝けさは霜しもが降おりていた。
Frost had formed this morning.
夜よるになると霧きりが降おりることがある。
Mist sometimes settles at night.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be passed; be expelled

Rare, specific use for something being passed from the body, such as a parasite. 下りる is the typical kanji. Often seen in medical or traditional contexts.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉を降おりるto go down/descend from (a mountain, stairs, etc.)
山やまを降おりるときは、足あし元もとに気きをつけてください。
Be careful of your footing when descending the mountain.
〈物もの〉を降おりるto get off (a vehicle)
次つぎの駅えきで電でん車しゃを降おりるつもりです。
I plan to get off the train at the next station.
〈事こと〉を降おりるto step down from (a role, competition, etc.)
彼かれは急きゅうに主しゅ役やくを降おりることになった。
He suddenly ended up stepping down from the lead role.
〈物もの〉が降おりるto be granted/issued (a permit, visa, etc.)
ようやくビザが降おりた。
The visa was finally issued.

Expressions

霜しもが降おりるfrost forms; become frosty; get covered with frost
天てんから降おりるfall from heaven; descend from the sky

Kanji

降descend, precipitate, fall
下below, down, descend

Related words

下くだるN3sense 1
下る emphasizes moving down along a slope, river, or road, while 降りる is the general verb for descending or getting off something.
下げ車しゃN3sense 2
下車する is a formal, single-purpose verb meaning to alight from a train or bus, while 降りる is the everyday verb used for getting off any vehicle.
辞やめるN4sense 3
辞める is the general verb for quitting a job or activity, while 降りる specifically stresses stepping down from a role or withdrawing from a competition.
飛とび降おりるN1
降りる is the neutral verb for getting off or descending (e.g. from a train or stairs), lacking the leaping nuance that 飛び降りる carries.

Opposites

上あがるN5sense 1
上がる means to go up or rise, the direct opposite of 降りる's meaning of going down.
乗のるN5sense 2
乗る means to get on a vehicle, the opposite action of 降りる's meaning of getting off.
乗のり込こむN2
降りる means to get off or alight from a vehicle, the direct opposite of 乗り込む's sense of boarding.
乗のっかる
乗っかる means to climb onto something, while 降りる means to get off or down from it.

Don't confuse with

落おちるN4
下りる describes someone deliberately getting down or off something like a train, while 落ちる describes something falling or dropping, often accidentally.
降ふるN5
降る means something falls from the sky (rain, snow), whereas 降りる means a person or thing descends or gets off something (a train, stairs).
下さがるN4
下りる is used for descending stairs or getting off a vehicle, while 下がる more often describes a level or position lowering or stepping backward.
降ふり
降りる is the verb 'to get off/descend', while 降り is the related noun form, and learners sometimes mix up which one to use in a sentence.

Word family· 9

飛とび降おりるN1
jump down; leap down; jump off
乗のり降おりN1
getting on and off; boarding and alighting
滑すべり降おりる
slide down; slip down
おり
folding in mahjong; giving up on winning and discarding safe tiles
降おり口ぐち
top of stairs; end of moving walkway · exit door (bus, etc.); steps down (from vehicle)

Show 4 more

降おり場ば
alighting point; drop-off point; disembarkation area
降おり立たつ
step down; descend and stand · alight; get off
舞まい降おりる
swoop down; glide down; fly down; land gently; alight
這はい降おりる
climb down; crawl down

Written forms

降おりるUsage59%
Standard kanji for descending, alighting, stepping down, and natural phenomena. Preferred in most contexts.
下おりるUsage25%
Often used for going down stairs/slopes, getting off vehicles, and for permissions/issuance. Interchangeable with 降りる in many cases, but 下りる is especially common for downward movement and official grants.
おりるUsage16%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing and when the kanji distinction is not important.

Etymology

From Old Japanese. The verb おりる is the intransitive form related to おろす (to lower). The kanji 降 is used for descending from a height or natural phenomena, while 下 is used for general downward movement and official issuance. The distinction is not always strict in modern usage.