降りる

• Reading: おりる
• Romaji: oriru
• Kanji breakdown: 降 (kou/o/fu) — descend, fall, get off
• Pronunciation: /o.ɾi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To get off; to descend; to go down. Used when alighting from vehicles or going downstairs.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Conjugated by dropping る and adding the appropriate ending. Used for getting off trains, buses, and taxis, as well as going downstairs or descending mountains. The transitive counterpart is 降ろす (to lower, to drop off).

Examples

1. 次の駅で降りてください。 Please get off at the next station.
2. 階段を降りたら右に曲がってください。 Go down the stairs and turn right.
3. バスを降りたところにコンビニがあります。 There's a convenience store right where you get off the bus.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, daily life, directions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 降 combines 阝 (hill) with 夅 (descend). Originally depicted the action of coming down from a height.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal