上手
Chinese edit
up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up |
hand; convenient; ‑er | ||
---|---|---|---|
simp. and trad. (上手) |
上 | 手 |
Pronunciation 1 edit
Noun edit
上手
- Alternative form of 上首 (shàngshǒu, “honored one; seat of honor”)
- predecessor; one's superior
- player whose turn comes next
- expert
- (Cantonese) previous owner of real estate
Pronunciation 2 edit
Verb edit
上手
Synonyms edit
- (to start):
Adverb edit
上手
- (colloquial) at the outset
Japanese edit
Etymology 1 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
じょう Grade: 1 |
ず Grade: 1 |
on’yomi |
/d͡ʑauzu/ → /d͡ʑɔːzu/ → /d͡ʑoːzu/
From Middle Chinese compound 上手 (dzyangH syuwX, “to have the upper hand → to gain mastery, to master something”, literally “top hand”).
This reading is likely a later innovation in Japanese after the initial borrowing. This uses the goon of jō for the first character, and the kan'yōon of zu for the second character.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
上手 • (jōzu) ←じやうず (zyauzu)?-na (adnominal 上手な (jōzu na), adverbial 上手に (jōzu ni))
Inflection edit
Stem forms | |||
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Imperfective (未然形) | 上手だろ | じょうずだろ | jōzu daro |
Continuative (連用形) | 上手で | じょうずで | jōzu de |
Terminal (終止形) | 上手だ | じょうずだ | jōzu da |
Attributive (連体形) | 上手な | じょうずな | jōzu na |
Hypothetical (仮定形) | 上手なら | じょうずなら | jōzu nara |
Imperative (命令形) | 上手であれ | じょうずであれ | jōzu de are |
Key constructions | |||
Informal negative | 上手ではない 上手じゃない |
じょうずではない じょうずじゃない |
jōzu de wa nai jōzu ja nai |
Informal past | 上手だった | じょうずだった | jōzu datta |
Informal negative past | 上手ではなかった 上手じゃなかった |
じょうずではなかった じょうずじゃなかった |
jōzu de wa nakatta jōzu ja nakatta |
Formal | 上手です | じょうずです | jōzu desu |
Formal negative | 上手ではありません 上手じゃありません |
じょうずではありません じょうずじゃありません |
jōzu de wa arimasen jōzu ja arimasen |
Formal past | 上手でした | じょうずでした | jōzu deshita |
Formal negative past | 上手ではありませんでした 上手じゃありませんでした |
じょうずではありませんでした じょうずじゃありませんでした |
jōzu de wa arimasen deshita jōzu ja arimasen deshita |
Conjunctive | 上手で | じょうずで | jōzu de |
Conditional | 上手なら(ば) | じょうずなら(ば) | jōzu nara (ba) |
Provisional | 上手だったら | じょうずだったら | jōzu dattara |
Volitional | 上手だろう | じょうずだろう | jōzu darō |
Adverbial | 上手に | じょうずに | jōzu ni |
Degree | 上手さ | じょうずさ | jōzusa |
Antonyms edit
Noun edit
- (rare) skill, dexterity
- flattery (from being told how skillful one is, even if one isn't)
- いつもお上手をいわれて自惚れた。
- Itsumo ojōzu o iwarete unuboreta.
- He was always told flattering things and got full of himself.
- いつもお上手をいわれて自惚れた。
- a person with the seventh dan in the games of shogi or go
Antonyms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
じょう Grade: 1 |
しゅ Grade: 1 |
on’yomi |
/d͡ʑauɕu/ → /d͡ʑɔːɕu/ → /d͡ʑoːɕu/
From Middle Chinese compound 上手 (dzyangH syuwX, “to have the upper hand → to gain mastery, to master something”, literally “top hand”).
This is the goon reading for both characters, so likely the reading as initially borrowed.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
上手 • (jōshu) ←じやうしゆ (zyausyu)?-na (adnominal 上手な (jōshu na), adverbial 上手に (jōshu ni))
- (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above
Usage notes edit
Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.
Noun edit
上手 • (jōshu) ←じやうしゆ (zyausyu)?
- (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above
Usage notes edit
Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.
Etymology 3 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
じょう Grade: 1 |
て Grade: 1 |
jūbakoyomi |
/d͡ʑaute/ → /d͡ʑɔːte/ → /d͡ʑoːte/
Variation on jōzu above, replacing the kan'yōon of zu with the kun'yomi of te.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- (rare) alternate for jōzu above
- Short for 上手物 (jōtemono): an exquisite piece of workmanship
Antonyms edit
Etymology 4 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
うわ Grade: 1 |
て Grade: 1 |
kun’yomi |
Compound of 上 (uwa, “up, upper”) + 手 (te, “hand”).
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
上手 • (uwate) -na (adnominal 上手な (uwate na), adverbial 上手に (uwate ni))
- superior, better
- aggressive, bold, on the offensive
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
Noun edit
- (sumo) an overhand hold
- (sumo) the upper hand in an overhand hold
- upstream, the upstream portion of a river
- upwind
- a skilled player of games, such as go or shogi
Antonyms edit
Etymology 5 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
かみ Grade: 1 |
て Grade: 1 |
kun’yomi |
Compound of 上 (kami, “up, upper”) + 手 (te, “hand”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- upstream, the upstream portion of a river
- upwind
- uphill, the upper portion of a hill or other geographic feature
- the head of a table, the seat of honor
- stage left: the left-hand side of a stage when looking from the stage towards the audience
- the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net
Antonyms edit
Etymology 6 edit
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
上 | 手 |
Grade: 1 | Grade: 1 |
irregular |
/kamute/ → /kaute/ → /kɔːte/ → /koːte/
Originally a compound of 上 (kamu, “up, upper”) + 手 (te, “hand”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- (rare) the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net