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下位
かい (kai)
lower rank
彼は会社で下位の役職に就いている。
He holds a lower-ranking position at the company.
formal
A position, rank, or status that is below others in a hierarchy or classification system.
この学部は下位の成績で入学した学生が多い。
Many students admitted to this department have lower-than-average academic records.
下位のチームが優勝するのは難しい。
It's difficult for a lower-ranked team to win the championship.
Commonly used in academic, corporate, sports, and technical contexts to describe hierarchical inferiority.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Hierarchy Indicators
下位 is often used with verbs like 占める (占める), 位置する, or いる to describe one's standing. Example: 「彼は下位に位置している」 (He is ranked lower).
Gold Rule
Contextual Hierarchy
下位 always implies a structured system (e.g., rankings, classifications). It cannot describe isolated inferiority (e.g., ❌「この椅子は下位だ」).
Word Origin
From Middle Chinese 下位 (hɑX ɦʉɐiH, literally 'below + rank/position'). The Japanese compound combines 下 (below, inferior) + 位 (rank, position) to form a hierarchical term.
Usage Notes
Used in both concrete (e.g., sports rankings) and abstract (e.g., social status) contexts. Often paired with 成績 (grades), 階級 (class), or 順位 (order). Avoid using in casual conversation unless discussing rankings explicitly.
Word Breakdown
下
below, inferior, lower
root位
rank, position, status
root和英辞典