JLPT N1 grammar

〜以下meaning and usage

Meaning

A or less; at or below A (amount)

How to form it

  • number + counter以下
  • noun以下

How it is used

'A or less': A itself is included, so 「3歳以下」 includes three-year-olds; to exclude A, use 「未満」. The opposite is 「以上」. After a noun it can mean below a standard, as in 「平均以下」.

Examples

  1. このジェットコースターは３歳以下は乗れません。

    Children aged 3 and under cannot ride this roller coaster.

  2. テストで六十点以下だった人は、来週もう一度受けてください。

    Anyone who scored sixty or below on the test, please take it again next week.

  3. 評判を聞いて行ったが、料理は期待以下だった。

    I went because of the good reviews, but the food fell short of expectations.