Meaning

Primary

To Get Lower

Alternatives

To Go Down, To Come Down, To Hang Down

Word Type

intransitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji means below, and 下がる means to get lower or to go down.

It's an intransitive verb, so it doesn't take a direct object. For example: Prices fall. Temperatures come down. See? No direct object. You can remember this because your fever only goes down when a girl (がる) takes care of you. It has to be a girl if you want your fever to come down!

Reading

さがる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you know that it's probably going to be the kun'yomi reading. Let's use a mnemonic to remember the reading of the kanji:

You know it means to fall so instead of using a saw () to cut down the tree, you decide to let it come to you. It has to come down all by itself. Picture yourself placing a saw at the foot of a tree then sitting back and waiting for it to drop itself at your knees. (This could actually work, don't you judge my methods!)

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • うしろに下がる

    to go backwards, to step back

    半分に下がる

    to go halfway down

    下に下がる

    to go down

Context Sentences

雨の日は気分が下がる。

My mood is lower on rainy days.

すみません。ジーンズが下がってパンツが見えてますよ。

Excuse me. Your jeans are hanging down and I can see your panties.

去年からスコアが下がった。

Scores have dropped since last year.

Kanji Composition