真下(ました)

真下(ました) combines the prefix 真(ま) (true, exact) with 下(した) (below), emphasizing "directly" or "right" below with no deviation.

THE 真(ま)- PREFIX:

The prefix 真(ま) attaches to direction and position words to mean "directly" or "exactly":

• 真上(まうえ): directly above
• 真横(まよこ): directly beside
• 真後(まうし)ろ: directly behind
• 真前(まえ): directly in front
• 真(ま)ん中(なか): the very center

COMMON PATTERNS:

• 真下(ました)に: directly below (location)
• 真下(ました)から: from directly below
• 真下(ました)を見(み)る: to look straight down

USAGE:
Often used with buildings, cliffs, and vertical contexts. Unlike 下(した) which can mean "below" in a general sense, 真下(ました) always implies a strict vertical relationship.