下がる

• Reading: さがる
• Romaji: sagaru
• Kanji breakdown: 下 (sa/ka/shita) — below, down, descend
• Pronunciation: /sa.ɡa.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To go down; to descend; to fall; to drop. Movement or change in a downward direction.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the る row. Used for physical descent (温度が下がる, temperature drops), abstract decline (成績が下がる, grades fall), and stepping back (後ろに下がる, step backwards). The transitive counterpart is 下げる (to lower something). Very common in weather, finance, and everyday contexts.

Examples

1. 夜になると急に気温が下がる。 The temperature drops suddenly at night.
2. テストの点数が先月より下がってしまった。 My test scores went down compared to last month.
3. 危ないから少し後ろに下がってください。 It's dangerous, so please step back a little.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, grades, prices, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. Intransitive pair of 下げる (sageru). The kanji 下 depicts something below a reference line, representing the concept of 'under' or 'down.'

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal