नीचे (niiche)
adverb/postposition/adjective
Mainly used as an adverb/postposition meaning 'below, down, underneath'; also functions as an adjective in a few fixed phrases. All senses share the core idea of a lower position.
Sense
1
:
downward direction or lower position (no object of comparison)
adverb Used alone (without a following noun + की/के) to mean 'down' or 'downstairs' in a general sense, e.g. नीचे आओ (niiche aao, 'come down').
Synonyms: तले (tale, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Indian homes and apartment buildings, नीचे (niiche) is the everyday word for 'downstairs' -- a mother calling out नीचे आ जाओ (niiche aa jaao, 'come downstairs') is a very common household scene.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often add का (kaa) or की (kii) even when नीचे (niiche) is used alone as 'downstairs/down' -- no possessive marker is needed here since there is no object being related to, e.g. नीचे आओ (niiche aao, 'come down'), not नीचे का आओ.
Sample Sentences:
नीचे आ जाओ, खाना तैयार है।
Come downstairs, the food is ready.
(niiche aa jaao, khaanaa taiyaar hai।)
मैं नीचे जा रहा हूँ, तुम भी आ जाओ।
I'm going downstairs, come along too.
(main niiche jaa rahaa hoon, tum bhii aa jaao।)
वह सीढ़ियों से नीचे गिर गया।
He fell down the stairs.
(vah siidhiyon se niiche gir gayaa।)
बच्चे रोज़ शाम को नीचे खेलने जाते हैं।
The children go down to play every evening.
(bachche roz shaam ko niiche khelne jaate hain।)
अगर लिफ्ट काम नहीं कर रही, तो नीचे उतर जाना।
If the lift isn't working, just go down by the stairs.
(agar lipht kaam nahiin kar rahii, to niiche utar jaanaa।)
क्या तुम एक मिनट के लिए नीचे आ सकते हो?
Could you come downstairs for a minute?
(kyaa tum ek minat ke lie niiche aa sakte ho?)
मुझे लगा कि सामान नीचे रखा हुआ है, पर वह ऊपर ही था।
I thought the luggage had been kept downstairs, but it was upstairs all along.
(mujhe lagaa ki saamaan niiche rakhaa huaa hai, par vah oopar hii thaa।)
अगर वह थोड़ा नीचे झुकता, तो उसे चोट न लगती।
If he had bent down a little, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.
(agar vah thodaa niiche jhuktaa, to use chot n lagtii।)
आपसे विनती है कि नीचे आकर मुख्य द्वार पर मिलें।
You are requested to come downstairs and meet at the main gate.
(aapse vintii hai ki niiche aakar mukhy dvaar par milen।)
गुब्बारा धीरे-धीरे नीचे आ रहा है।
The balloon is slowly coming down.
(gubbaaraa dhiire-dhiire niiche aa rahaa hai।)
मकान का सारा सामान नीचे उतार दिया गया।
All the household goods were brought down.
(makaan kaa saaraa saamaan niiche utaar diyaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
below, under, beneath (relative to a stated noun)
postposition Takes the oblique with के (ke): X के नीचे (ke niiche, 'under X'), as in मेज़ के नीचे (mez ke niiche, 'under the table').
Synonyms: तले (tale, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the go-to phrase for physical position -- बिस्तर के नीचे (bistar ke niiche, 'under the bed') is the classic place kids hide things (or where parents look for lost slippers).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop के (ke) and say मेज़ नीचे (mez niiche) instead of मेज़ के नीचे (mez ke niiche) -- as a compound postposition, नीचे (niiche) needs के (ke) linking it to the noun it governs.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी चप्पल बिस्तर के नीचे पड़ी है।
My slipper is lying under the bed.
(merii chappal bistar ke niiche padii hai।)
बच्चे मेज़ के नीचे छिप गए।
The kids hid under the table.
(bachche mez ke niiche chhip gae।)
पेड़ के नीचे बैठकर वह किताब पढ़ता है।
He sits under the tree and reads a book.
(ped ke niiche baithkar vah kitaab padhtaa hai।)
पुल के नीचे नाव खड़ी थी।
The boat was standing under the bridge.
(pul ke niiche naav khadii thii।)
अपना बैग सीट के नीचे रख दो।
Put your bag under the seat.
(apnaa baig siit ke niiche rakh do।)
अगर बारिश होती तो हम छत के नीचे बैठे होते।
If it had rained, we would have been sitting under the roof.
(agar baarish hotii to ham chhat ke niiche baithe hote।)
कागज़ात अलमारी के नीचे रखे जाते हैं।
The documents are kept under the cupboard.
(kaagzaat almaarii ke niiche rakhe jaate hain।)
शायद बिल्ली सोफ़े के नीचे सो रही हो।
Maybe the cat is sleeping under the sofa.
(shaayad billii sofe ke niiche so rahii ho।)
पुल के नीचे बहती नदी बहुत सुंदर लगती है।
The river flowing beneath the bridge looks very beautiful.
(pul ke niiche bahtii nadii bahut sundar lagtii hai।)
वह चादर के नीचे काँप रहा था।
He was trembling under the blanket.
(vah chaadar ke niiche kaamp rahaa thaa।)
क्या तुमने चाबी दरवाज़े के नीचे देखी?
Did you check under the door for the key?
(kyaa tumne chaabii darvaaze ke niiche dekhii?)
Sense
3
:
lower, downstairs (attributive, invariant)
adjective Used before a noun to mean 'lower/downstairs', e.g. नीचे वाला कमरा (niiche vaalaa kamraa, 'the downstairs room') -- typically needs वाला (vaalaa) to attach directly to a noun.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in phrases like नीचे की मंज़िल (niiche kii manzil, 'the lower/ground floor') when people describe multi-story homes so common in Delhi-NCR colonies.
Sample Sentences:
नीचे की मंज़िल में एक कमरा खाली है।
There is one empty room on the lower floor.
(niiche kii manzil men ek kamraa khaalii hai।)
हमने नीचे वाला फ्लैट किराए पर दे दिया है।
We have rented out the downstairs flat.
(hamne niiche vaalaa phlait kiraae par de diyaa hai।)
नीचे की दुकान में सामान सस्ता मिलता है।
You get goods cheaper in the shop on the lower floor.
(niiche kii dukaan men saamaan sastaa miltaa hai।)
अगर नीचे वाला कमरा बड़ा होता, तो हम वहीं सामान रख देते।
If the lower room were bigger, we would have kept the things right there.
(agar niiche vaalaa kamraa badaa hotaa, to ham vahiin saamaan rakh dete।)
कृपया नीचे वाली मंज़िल पर आ जाइए, मीटिंग वहीं है।
Please come to the lower floor, the meeting is there.
(kripyaa niiche vaalii manzil par aa jaaie, miiting vahiin hai।)
शायद नीचे वाला हॉल इस काम के लिए ठीक रहे।
Perhaps the lower hall would be suitable for this work.
(shaayad niiche vaalaa hol is kaam ke lie thiik rahe।)
नीचे की मंज़िल का किराया ऊपर वाली से ज़्यादा है।
The rent for the lower floor is more than the upper one.
(niiche kii manzil kaa kiraayaa oopar vaalii se zyaadaa hai।)
नीचे वाले पड़ोसी हमेशा शिकायत करते रहते हैं।
The downstairs neighbors are always complaining.
(niiche vaale padosii hameshaa shikaayat karte rahte hain।)
नीचे वाला गेट बंद कर दिया गया था।
The lower gate had been shut.
(niiche vaalaa get band kar diyaa gayaa thaa।)
Sense
4
:
figuratively lower in status, rank, or level
adverb Used metaphorically for hierarchy or scale, e.g. उससे नीचे (usse niiche, 'below/lower than him/her') in rank or ability.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just as English says someone is 'beneath' another in rank, Hindi reuses the same physical-space word नीचे (niiche) for social or professional hierarchy -- a very natural metaphor that Hindi and English share.
Sample Sentences:
इस दफ़्तर में मेरा पद उससे नीचे है।
In this office, my rank is lower than his.
(is daftar men meraa pad usse niiche hai।)
वह अपने आप को सबसे नीचे समझता है।
He considers himself lower than everyone else.
(vah apne aap ko sabse niiche samajhtaa hai।)
पुरानी व्यवस्था में क्लर्क अफ़सर से नीचे माना जाता था।
In the old system, a clerk was considered lower than an officer.
(puraanii vyavasthaa men klark afsar se niiche maanaa jaataa thaa।)
अगर तुम उसे नीचे दिखाओगे, तो वह कभी माफ़ नहीं करेगा।
If you make him look lower in status, he will never forgive you.
(agar tum use niiche dikhaaoge, to vah kabhii maaf nahiin karegaa।)
काश उसका दर्जा इतना नीचे न होता।
If only his standing weren't so low.
(kaash uskaa darjaa itnaa niiche n hotaa।)
नई नियुक्ति के बाद उसका ओहदा नीचे कर दिया गया।
After the new appointment, his position was lowered.
(naii niyukti ke baad uskaa ohdaa niiche kar diyaa gayaa।)
समाज में उसे नीचे मत आँको, वह बहुत काबिल है।
Don't rank him lower in society, he is very capable.
(samaaj men use niiche mat aanko, vah bahut kaabil hai।)
हो सकता है इस लिस्ट में उसका नाम नीचे रह जाए।
It's possible his name might end up lower in this list.
(ho saktaa hai is list men uskaa naam niiche rah jaae।)
जातिगत भेदभाव में कुछ लोगों को हमेशा नीचे रखा गया।
In caste-based discrimination, some people were always kept lower.
(jaatigat bhedbhaav men kuchh logon ko hameshaa niiche rakhaa gayaa।)
कंपनी की सीढ़ी में वह मुझसे दो पद नीचे है।
On the company ladder, he is two ranks lower than me.
(kampnii kii siidhii men vah mujhse do pad niiche hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
नीचे
(niiche)