Japanese symbol for “underneath”
下
した
Romaji: shita
below; down; under; younger (e.g. daughter)
In Japanese, underneath is 下, read した (shita).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n below; down; under; younger (e.g. daughter)
- n bottom
- n beneath; underneath
- n just after; right after
- adj-no, n inferiority; one's inferior (i.e. one's junior)
- n trade-in
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以下 | いか ika | not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under |
| 地下 | ちか chika | underground; below the ground |
| 低下 | ていか teika | fall; decline; lowering |
| 上下 | じょうげ jouge | top and bottom; high and low; above and below |
| 地下鉄 | ちかてつ chikatetsu | subway; metro; underground (railway) |
| 部下 | ぶか buka | subordinate person |
See also: Chinese symbol for “underneath”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.