Japanese 下がる: a fall or a step back

The idea

下さがる is a godan verb. Its polite non-past is 下さがります, polite negative 下さがりません, polite past 下さがりました, and て form 下さがって. The non-past can express a habit or a future event, depending on context. が marks what goes down, such as a fever; 下さげる instead means lowering something.

Examples

• 今日きょうは気温きおんが下さがりました。The temperature fell today.
• 切符きっぷの値段ねだんは下さがりません。The ticket price will not fall.
• 少すこし後うしろに下さがってください。Please step back a little.
• エレベーターが一階いっかいまで下さがります。The elevator descends to the ground floor.
• 熱ねつが下さがって、元気げんきになりました。My fever went down and I felt better.
• 水みずの温度おんどがゆっくり下さがっています。The water temperature is slowly falling.

Watch out

Do not add て directly to the dictionary form 下さがる; the correct て form is 下さがって.

Try it yourself

1. ＿。（下さがる→ます）

   Show answer or example answer

   下がります

   下さがります is the polite non-past of 下さがる; context determines whether it describes a habit or the future.

2. ＿。（下さがる→て）

   Show answer or example answer

   下がって

   下さがって is the て form of 下さがる; it can link one action to a following clause.

3. 熱ねつ＿下さがりました。（が／を）

   Show answer or example answer

   が

   が is correct here. が marks what goes down, such as a fever; 下さげる instead means lowering something.

Use it today

Make two sentences with 下さがる, one in the polite past and one negative. Check the forms and particles against the table and examples.