降ろす

Japanese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

• Homophones: 下ろす, 卸す

Verb

降(お)ろす • (orosu) transitive godan (stem 降(お)ろし (oroshi), past 降(お)ろした (oroshita))

1. drop off

   駅(えき)の前(まえ)で降(お)ろして下(くだ)さい。

   Eki no mae de oroshite kudasai.

   Drop me off in front of the station.

2. unload

   列車(れっしゃ)から荷物(にもつ)を降(お)ろす

   ressha kara nimotsu o orosu

   unload baggage from a train

3. lower something like a flag
4. remove; take away from a role or a rank

   彼(かれ)は主役(しゅやく)から降(お)ろされた。

   Kare wa shuyaku kara orosareta.

   He was removed from the leading role.

5. withdraw (money)

   お金(かね)を降(お)ろす

   o-kane o orosu

   withdraw money

Usage notes

The kanji usage of 降ろす versus 下ろす (both pronounced おろす orosu and with very similar meanings of “to lower”) is somewhat delicate. The transitive form of 下(お)りる (oriru, “go down”), 下ろす generally describes moving something from a higher to a lower position, and may translate such English verbs as unload, lower (a curtain, etc.), or withdraw (e.g. money from an account). Unlike 降ろす, it is also used to mean cut or prune, as in 枝(えだ)-を-下(お)ろす (eda o orosu, “trim a branch”), or to mean renew, as in 書(か)き下(お)ろす (kakiorosu, “write a new (manuscript)”).

The transitive form of 降(お)りる (oriru, “alight; get off”), 降ろす also describes lowering something from a higher position, as 下ろす does. Either spelling can be used for the unload, lower, or withdraw senses. The 降ろす form is frequently used for dropping someone or unloading something from a vehicle. The remove (someone) from a role or rank meaning of 降ろす is not shared with 下ろす.

Conjugation

Related terms

• 降りる (intransitive)

Further reading

• おろ・す₂ 【下ろす・降ろす】 in Yahoo! Japan 辞書, 2013 July 2.