below
below — adverb
1. at a place, level, or position that is lower than something else, or lower than
at a place, level, or position that is lower than something else, or lower than where the speaker is standing.
Wen stood on the cliff and watched the waves crash on the rocks below.
noun + below for 'lower than the speaker'
From the plane window, Jacob could see tiny villages below.
from + position + below
The kitchen is on the ground floor, and the laundry room is below.
A loud bang came from the apartment below at around midnight.
The climbers waved at their friends who were waiting below.
- underneath
more often used when something covers or is directly under another thing
- beneath
more formal or literary than 'below'
- above
the direct opposite for spatial position
文法句型
verb + below
from below
用法筆記
Often appears at the end of a clause with no following noun, because the lower place is understood from context.
常見錯誤
2. smaller in number, amount, or level than a stated figure or standard.
smaller in number, amount, or level than a stated figure or standard.
Sales for the new phone fell below last year's figures by twelve percent.
fall below + numerical amount
Eitan's test score was just below the passing mark.
just below for narrowly under a level
Children below the age of six get into the museum free.
House prices in the small town stayed well below the national average.
文法句型
fall below
drop below
be below + amount
用法筆記
Often paired with quantity nouns (age, level, average, mark) and verbs of change (fall, drop, sink). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about numbers and standards, not physical height.
常見錯誤
3. used without a following noun to mean 'at a less senior level' or 'further down
used without a following noun to mean 'at a less senior level' or 'further down a ranking', when the reference point is clear from context.
Ines started two ranks below the team captain when she joined the squad.
ranks + below for organisational hierarchy
Our team finished the season three places below the league leaders.
places + below in standings
Anyone working below the manager has to file a weekly report.
She was promoted from the position below to head of design last month.
- above
for higher rank or position
文法句型
rank + below
position + below
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, role, or team. Often combines with rank-counting nouns (places, ranks, levels) before 'below'.
4. further down a page, or later within the same written text.
further down a page, or later within the same written text.
Please read the safety rules listed below before entering the laboratory.
noun + below pointing to later text
For Tokyo office hours and weekend pickup times, see below.
see below as a stand-alone reference
The chart below shows how sea levels have risen since 1980.
Sign the form and write your phone number in the box below.
- following
as in 'the following table'; same idea, more formal
- hereinafter
very formal, mostly in legal documents
- above
for material already mentioned earlier in the text
文法句型
see below
as shown below
noun + below
用法筆記
Common in textbooks, contracts, instructions, and academic writing. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'below' refers to text or images further down a page, not to a physical lower place.
常見錯誤
5. lower than zero degrees, used when talking about temperature.
lower than zero degrees, used when talking about temperature.
Last night the temperature in Hokkaido dropped to ten below zero.
number + below zero for sub-zero temperature
Lake Suwa freezes solid whenever the air stays below zero for a week.
stay + below zero
Esme forgot her gloves on a morning that felt like five below.
Diesel trucks in Alaska struggle to start when overnight temperatures fall well below zero.
- sub-zero
single adjective meaning 'below zero', often before a noun like 'temperatures'
- above zero
for temperatures higher than freezing point
文法句型
temperature + below zero
drop to below zero
用法筆記
In American speech, 'below' is sometimes used alone after a number (e.g., 'ten below') to mean 'below zero'.
常見錯誤
below — preposition
1. in a position that is lower than something, either directly under it or somewher
in a position that is lower than something, either directly under it or somewhere further down.
A small bird had built its nest below the kitchen window.
below + physical reference point
Sara hid the spare key below a flat stone near the gate.
The submarine sailed slowly below the surface of the sea.
Workers found Roman coins buried below the floor of the old farmhouse.
Mia hung a small painting of her dog just below the bedroom mirror.
- above
the direct spatial opposite
文法句型
below + noun
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'under', but 'below' suggests a vertical relationship without necessarily being directly underneath. Use 'under' when one thing covers or touches another (under the blanket).
常見錯誤
2. at a point along a river that is closer to the sea than a place mentioned, in th
at a point along a river that is closer to the sea than a place mentioned, in the direction the river flows.
The fishermen anchored their boats just below the old stone bridge.
below + landmark on a river
Wild salmon are usually caught below the waterfall in late autumn.
Several small farms lie below the dam along the Mekong.
The water grows muddy below the factory and stays brown for miles.
- downstream from
more explicit and common in everyday speech
- downriver from
near-equivalent; emphasises the river itself
- above
for upstream points along a river
- upstream from
everyday counterpart
文法句型
below + river / point on river
用法筆記
Used mainly in writing about geography, fishing, or boating. The reference noun is always something on a river (a town, a bridge, a dam). Distinguish from sense 1: 'lower' here means 'further along the flow', not vertically beneath.
3. in or to an area that is south of a stated place, when looking at a normal map.
in or to an area that is south of a stated place, when looking at a normal map.
The town of Tucson sits just below Phoenix on the highway map.
below + place name meaning 'south of'
Most of the rainforest lies below the equator in this region.
below + the equator
Many bird species fly to warmer islands below Florida every winter.
On the world map, Argentina sits just below Bolivia and stretches down to Patagonia.
- south of
more precise; preferred in formal geography
文法句型
below + place / latitude
用法筆記
Relies on the map convention that south is at the bottom. Often used loosely in everyday speech; for precision, prefer 'south of'.
常見錯誤
4. used with a following person, role, or rank to mean 'at a junior level to that p
used with a following person, role, or rank to mean 'at a junior level to that person or role' in a hierarchy.
A sergeant is one rank below a lieutenant in the army.
rank + below + senior role
Everyone below the head chef in the kitchen takes orders from her.
below + person for hierarchy
At the Tokyo office, anyone below the level of director must email Reiko before booking flights.
Players ranked below the top fifty rarely win a major title.
文法句型
below + person / role / rank
用法筆記
Object is typically a role (manager, captain, director) or a numbered ranking. Frequently appears in workplace, military, and sports contexts.
5. considered to be of too low a status, quality, or moral standard for a particula
considered to be of too low a status, quality, or moral standard for a particular person to do or accept.
The proud old judge felt that gossip was below him.
below + person meaning 'unworthy of'
Helping with the dishes was never below her grandfather, even as a guest.
Cheating in a friendly match should be below any serious athlete.
Senator Hayes acted as though answering reporters was below him.
- beneath
much more common in this 'unworthy of' sense
- unworthy of
explicit and natural in modern English
- worthy of
expresses the positive idea directly
文法句型
below + person / one's dignity
用法筆記
Usually in negative or critical contexts about a person's pride or moral choice. The synonym 'beneath' is far more common in this meaning today.
常見錯誤
below — noun
1. the material that appears later on the same page, used as a noun phrase with 'th
the material that appears later on the same page, used as a noun phrase with 'the'.
The lawyer asked Mr. Chen to sign and date the below at the bottom of page three.
legal register: 'sign the below'
In the biology textbook diagram, the above shows the leaves and the below shows the roots.
the below paired with the above
Hi Ines, please review the below and let me know your thoughts before Friday's meeting.
The geology textbook summarises the above and the below in a single cross-section drawing.
- the following
the natural everyday alternative
- the above
matching noun for material higher on the page
文法句型
the below
用法筆記
Mostly limited to legal writing, formal email, and academic captions. In normal English, prefer phrases like 'the items below' or 'the section below'.
常見錯誤
below — adjective
1. appearing further down a page, or talked about later within the same document.
appearing further down a page, or talked about later within the same document.
Please complete the form below in clear black ink.
the [noun] below — postpositive adjective use
The map below shows every emergency exit on the floor.
Tick the box below if you agree to the terms of service.
Use the recipe below to bake a simple chocolate cake at home.
- following
common attributive option: 'the following table'
- above
postpositive opposite: 'the chart above'
文法句型
noun + below
用法筆記
Always placed AFTER the noun it describes, never before (you cannot say 'the below table'). Distinguish from the noun sense: here 'below' modifies a named item ('the chart below'), whereas the noun stands alone ('the below').