Japanese word

降りる

Pronunciation

Romajioriru

Meaning

  • verbgo down

Example

毎朝階段を降ります。mai asa kai dan o o ri ma su

I go down the stairs every morning.

Illustration for 降りる (go down)

More examples

階段を降ります。kai dan o o ri ma su

I go down the stairs.

雨の日は、滑らないようにゆっくり降ります。ame no hi wa sube ra na i yō ni yu kku ri o ri ma su

On rainy days, I go down slowly so I do not slip.

Core concept

It describes moving from a higher position to a lower one, including leaving a vehicle from inside.

Common phrases

  • バスを降りるba su o o ri ru

    get off the bus

  • 電車を降りるden sha o o ri ru

    get off the train

  • 階段を降りるkai dan o o ri ru

    go down the stairs

Similar words

下るkudaru: To travel downward along a path, slope, or set of stairs.

Definition in Japanese

上にある場所から下へ移動する。乗り物の場合は車内から外へ出る。ue ni a ru ba sho ka ra shita e i dō su ru no ri mono no ba ai wa sha nai ka ra soto e de ru

Word origin

降りる (oriru) is a native Japanese verb written with 降 (kō, "to descend or fall"), which matches its basic high-to-low sense, but its older formation is not certain.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 降りる (oriru) can take を (o) for a route such as 階段 (kaidan), so 階段を降りる (kaidan o oriru) uses を (o) where English uses no separate route marker.

Other meanings

  • get offverb
  • come downverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 降り方furikataway of descendingnoun

Word lists with this word