The Meaning of sageru [下げる] In Japanese

下げる
さげる
Romaji: sageru N5

What does 下げる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to lower, to reduce, to bring down

Definition

What does 下げる mean? It means to make something lower or to reduce it; a transitive verb applied to a wide range of objects, from physical height to quantities or even mood, depending on context. It describes the action of pushing something downward or decreasing its level.

Type

Verb (ichidan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical lowering of height or position of an object
  • Reduction of quantity or value such as price, level, or score
  • Lowering someone’s mood or spirits in expressions like 気分を下げる
  • Metaphorical lowering of status or prominence in certain contexts

Composition

  • 下: down, below; げる is the okurigana; together they form a verb meaning to make something go down or decrease

Usage

Used as a transitive verb with を to mark the object being lowered. The plain form 下げる is common in casual speech; polite form 下げます is used in formal contexts; negative 下げない; past 下げた; te-form 下げて for connecting clauses.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic picture: the kanji 下 shows something at or above the surface and the suffix げる pushes it downward, turning the noun into an action meaning to make it go down.

Variations

  • 減らす (へらす) — reduce
  • 下ろす (おろす) — lower by taking down
  • 落とす (おとす) — drop, let fall

Example Phrases

  • 店はセールで価格を下げる予定だ
    Mise wa sēru de kakaku o sageru yotei da
    The store plans to lower prices during a sale.
    Lista:
    • 店は (mise wa) – store (topic marker)
    • セールで (sēru de) – sale (at/ during)
    • 価格を (kakaku o) – price (object marker)
    • 下げる (sageru) – to lower
    • 予定だ (yotei da) – is planned
    Core grammar: target verb 「下げる」 is a ru-verb meaning ‘to lower’, used with を to mark the object: 価格を下げる.
下げる