1.
going down, descent
Movement in a downward direction.
2.
down-train (away from Tokyo)
A train heading away from Tokyo or a major city.
3.
passage, section (of text)
A particular part or passage in a text.
下り is the noun form of 下る (to go down). It has three distinct meanings: physical descent, train direction, and a passage of text.
TRAIN TERMINOLOGY:
In Japanese rail, trains heading away from Tokyo (or the main city in a region) are 下り, while trains heading toward Tokyo are 上り.
- 下りの電車: down-train
- 下り線: down-line (track)
- 上り: up-train (antonym)
TEXT PASSAGE:
Sense 3 refers to a section or passage of a book, letter, or speech. Often used with この下り (this passage) or ある下り (a certain passage).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 坂の下り: going downhill
- 山の下り: mountain descent