下 流(かりゅう)

かりゅう

noun

downstream; lower class

1. downstream, lower reaches

The lower part of a river, closer to where it empties into the sea.

It flowed downstream.

下流(かりゅう)では川幅(かわはば)が広(ひろ)がる。

The river widens downstream.

The lower reaches are prone to flood damage.

2. lower class

The socially or economically disadvantaged class.

The term 'lower-class society' became a topic of discussion.

As inequality widened, more people fell into the lower class.

Many people feel anxiety about slipping from the middle class to the lower class.

Usage: Pairs with 上流(じょうりゅう) (upstream/upper class) and 中流(ちゅうりゅう) (midstream/middle class).

Culture: The book 下流(かりゅう)社会(しゃかい) (2005) by 三浦(みうら)展(あつし) popularized the term to describe the growing economic underclass in Japan.

Related Words

general

Added 2026.3.5 14:36 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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