lower-transact-sql.md

---

title: "LOWER (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "03/13/2017" ms.prod: "sql" ms.prod_service: "database-engine, sql-database, sql-data-warehouse, pdw" ms.service: "" ms.component: "t-sql|functions" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "sql" ms.technology:

• "database-engine" ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "language-reference" f1_keywords:
• "LOWER"
• "LOWER_TSQL" dev_langs:
• "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords:
• "characters [SQL Server], lowercase"
• "LOWER function"
• "uppercase characters [SQL Server]"
• "characters [SQL Server], uppercase"
• "lowercase characters"
• "converting uppercase to lowercase characters" ms.assetid: 1783352b-6852-4658-9d94-51963c59b9bf caps.latest.revision: 37 author: "edmacauley" ms.author: "edmaca" manager: "craigg" ms.workload: "Active" monikerRange: ">= aps-pdw-2016 || = azuresqldb-current || = azure-sqldw-latest || >= sql-server-2016 || = sqlallproducts-allversions"

---

LOWER (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md]

Returns a character expression after converting uppercase character data to lowercase.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

LOWER ( character_expression )  

Arguments

character_expression
Is an expression of character or binary data. character_expression can be a constant, variable, or column. character_expression must be of a data type that is implicitly convertible to varchar. Otherwise, use CAST to explicitly convert character_expression.

Return Types

varchar or nvarchar

Examples

The following example uses the LOWER function, the UPPER function, and nests the UPPER function inside the LOWER function in selecting product names that have prices between $11 and $20.

-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
SELECT LOWER(SUBSTRING(EnglishProductName, 1, 20)) AS Lower,   
       UPPER(SUBSTRING(EnglishProductName, 1, 20)) AS Upper,   
       LOWER(UPPER(SUBSTRING(EnglishProductName, 1, 20))) As LowerUpper  
FROM dbo.DimProduct  
WHERE ListPrice between 11.00 and 20.00;  
  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

Lower                 Upper                  LowerUpper  
--------------------  ---------------------  --------------------  
minipump              MINIPUMP               minipump  
taillights – battery  TAILLIGHTS – BATTERY   taillights - battery

See Also

Data Types (Transact-SQL)
String Functions (Transact-SQL)
UPPER (Transact-SQL)