降おりる

お

り

る

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

降りる · ichidan verb

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

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.

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.

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.

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.