Under an Influence, Not a Table
の下で marks the authority, conditions or influence something happens beneath. The "under" is figurative.
- 先生の下で学びました。(I studied under my teacher.)
For a physical position, use 下 — 机の下. The reading changes with the meaning: もと is figurative, した is literal.
What Goes Before It
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| A person's authority | 監督の下で |
| A condition | 厳しい条件の下で |
| A principle | 法の下で |
の下で vs の下に
| Form | Sense |
|---|---|
| の下で | an action performed under it |
| の下に | a state of being under it |
法の下の平等 (equality under the law) is a set phrase worth knowing.
Against において
において marks a place, time or field. の下で marks an authority or a set of conditions. They are both formal and both translatable as "in", which is why they get swapped.
Register
Formal and written.