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Definition 2024

足下

足下

Chinese

foot; to be sufficient
 
under; second; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to decline; to go down; latter
simp. and trad.
(足下) 		足 下

Noun

足下

  1. underfoot

Pronoun

足下

  1. (archaic) you

Usage notes

Used in instances where a subordinate is addressing a senior or when someone addresses a person of the same rank.

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
足 下
あし
Grade: 1 		もと
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Compound of 足 ‎(ashi, “foot, feet”) +‎ 元 ‎(moto, “base; foundation; origin”). Note that the moto portion can be spelled variously as 元, 下, or 許.[1][2]

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Noun

足下 ‎(hiragana あしもと, romaji ashimoto)

  1. at one's feet, underfoot, the ground
    地震 (じしん)で足下 (あしもと)が揺 (ゆ)れた。
    Jishin de ashimoto ga yureta.
    The ground underfoot shook from the earthquake.
  2. the bottom of the foot
  3. a foothold, one's footing
    この事業 (じぎょう)では、足下 (あしもと)を固 (かた)めてから、やっと発動 (はつどう)できるようになります。
    Kono jigyō de wa, ashimoto o katamete kara, yatto hatsudō dekiru yō ni narimasu.
    We will finally be able to get moving once we have established a firm footing on this project.
  4. gait, pace, step
  5. someone's surroundings, the nearby
  6. recent events
    足下 (あしもと)の業績 (ぎょうせき)は好調 (こうちょう)に推移 (すいい)している。
    Ashimoto no gyōseki wa kōchō ni suii shite iru.
    Recent earnings have been trending favourably.
  7. a post in the structure of a house: a vertical support running from the foundation to the roof joist
  8. (theater) hakama, trousers, leg coverings in general
  9. (theater) footlights in the backstage area to illuminate walkways
  10. during the rice harvest, any grain that falls at one's feet
  11. a fin, as of a fish, a seal, or similar marine animal
Synonyms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
足 下
あ
Grade: 1 		もと
Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Compound of 足 ‎(a, “foot, feet”, older combining form of modern ashi) +‎ 元 ‎(moto, “base; foundation; origin”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

Noun

足下 ‎(hiragana あもと, romaji amoto)

  1. at one's feet, underfoot
  2. one's family and status, where one stands in the world
Idioms
Synonyms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
足 下
そく > そっ
Grade: 1 		か
Grade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 足下 ‎(tsjowk hæX, literally “foot + down, beneath”). Compare modern Cantonese reading zuk1 haa6.

Pronunciation

Noun

足下 ‎(hiragana そっか, romaji sokka)

  1. at one's feet, underfoot
  2. an epithet used in written correspondence to show respect to the addressee
  3. a pair of high clogs, worn in rainy weather
Synonyms

Pronoun

足下 ‎(hiragana そっか, romaji sokka)

  1. (formal, archaic) second-person pronoun: you
    Used to refer to someone of similar or lower status than the speaker. From the sense of being nearby in status.

References

  1. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 1 2 3 4 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

Pronunciation

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