上手

Chinese

		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

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shàngshǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): soeng⁶ sau²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): siang⁵ siu²

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): song-sú
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): siōng-chhiú / siāng-chhiú
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zaon-seu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shàngshǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shàngshǒu
    • Wade–Giles: shang⁴-shou³
    • Yale: shàng-shǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanqshoou
    • Palladius: шаншоу (šanšou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 上手 上首

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: soeng⁶ sau²
    • Yale: seuhng sáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soeng⁶ sau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêng⁶ seo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sœːŋ²² sɐu̯³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: siang⁵ siu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siaŋ³² siu⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: song-sú
    • Hakka Romanization System: song su^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: song⁴ su³
    • Sinological IPA: /soŋ⁵⁵ su³¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siōng-chhiú
    • Tâi-lô: siōng-tshiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sioxngchiuo
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /siɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɔŋ³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /siɔŋ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /siɔŋ⁴¹⁻²² t͡sʰiu⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siāng-chhiú
    • Tâi-lô: siāng-tshiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siaxngchiuo
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /siaŋ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zaon-seu
    • MiniDict: zaon^去 seu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zaan-seu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zɑ̃²² sɤ⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: dzyangH syuwX

Rime
Character	上	手
Reading #	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	常 (25)	書 (26)
Final (韻)	陽 (105)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	時亮切	書九切
Baxter	dzyangH	syuwX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡ʑɨɐŋH/	/ɕɨuX/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡ʑiɐŋH/	/ɕiuX/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡ʑiɑŋH/	/ɕiəuX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡ʑɨaŋH/	/ɕuwX/
Li Rong	/ʑiaŋH/	/ɕiuX/
Wang Li	/ʑĭaŋH/	/ɕĭəuX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʑi̯aŋH/	/ɕi̯ə̯uX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shàng	shǒu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	soeng6	sau2

Noun

上手

1. alternative form of 上首 (shàngshǒu, “honored one; seat of honor”)
2. predecessor; one's superior
3. (card games) player whose turn comes next
4. expert
5. (philosophy) ready-to-hand
6. (Cantonese) previous owner of real estate

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shàngshǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): soeng⁵ sau²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): siang¹ siu²

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chiūⁿ-chhiú / chiōⁿ-chhiú / chiǔⁿ-chhiú

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shàngshǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shàngshǒu
    • Wade–Giles: shang⁴-shou³
    • Yale: shàng-shǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanqshoou
    • Palladius: шаншоу (šanšou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 上手 上首

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: soeng⁵ sau²
    • Yale: séuhng sáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soeng⁵ sau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêng⁵ seo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sœːŋ¹³ sɐu̯³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: siang¹ siu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siaŋ³³ siu⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiūⁿ-chhiú
    • Tâi-lô: tsiūnn-tshiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cviuxchiuo
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siũ³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /t͡siũ³³⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siũ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiōⁿ-chhiú
    • Tâi-lô: tsiōnn-tshiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cvioixchiuo
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɔ̃²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiǔⁿ-chhiú
    • Tâi-lô: tsiǔnn-tshiú
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siũ²² t͡sʰiu⁵⁵⁴/

Verb

上手

1. to start; to begin
2. to get in one's hand; to get (fish, etc.) on the hook

Synonyms

• (to start):

edit

• 下手 (xiàshǒu)
• 入手 (rùshǒu)
• 動手 / 动手 (dòngshǒu)
• 喐手
• 著手 / 着手 (zhuóshǒu)
• 落手 (lok⁶ sau²) (Cantonese, Hokkien)
• 起手 (qǐshǒu)

Adverb

上手

1. (colloquial) at the outset

Japanese

Etymology 1

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 (dzyang^H syuw^X, “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

• (Tokyo) じょーず [jòózúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːzɨ]

Adjective

上(じょう)手(ず) • (jōzu) ^{←じやうず (zyauzu)?}-na (adnominal 上(じょう)手(ず)な (jōzu na), adverbial 上(じょう)手(ず)に (jōzu ni))

1. skillful, dexterous

Inflection

Inflection of 上手

Stem forms
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

• 下手(へた) (heta)

Noun

上(じょう)手(ず) • (jōzu) ^{←じやうず (zyauzu)?}

1. (rare) skill, dexterity
2. flattery (from being told how skillful one is, even if one isn't)

   いつもお上手(じょうず)をいわれて自惚(うぬぼ)れた。

   Itsumo ojōzu o iwarete unuboreta.

   He was always told flattering things and got full of himself.

3. a person with the seventh dan in the games of shogi or go

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “skill, dexterity”): 下手(へた) (heta)

Etymology 2

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 (dzyang^H syuw^X, “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

• (Tokyo) じょーしゅ [jòóshúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːɕɨ]

Adjective

上(じょう)手(しゅ) • (jōshu) ^{←じやうしゆ (zyausyu)?}-na (adnominal 上(じょう)手(しゅ)な (jōshu na), adverbial 上(じょう)手(しゅ)に (jōshu ni))

1. (obsolete) synonym of 上手 (jōzu) above

Usage notes

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

Noun

上(じょう)手(しゅ) • (jōshu) ^{←じやうしゆ (zyausyu)?}

1. (obsolete) synonym of 上手 (jōzu) above

Usage notes

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

Etymology 3

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

• (Tokyo) じょーて [jòótéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːte̞]

Noun

上(じょう)手(て) • (jōte) ^{←じやうて (zyaute)?}

1. (rare) synonym of 上手 (jōzu) above
2. short for 上手物 (jōtemono): an exquisite piece of workmanship

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “crude piece of workmanship”): 下手物(げてもの) (getemono)

Etymology 4

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

• (Tokyo) うわて [ùwáté] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟β̞a̠te̞]

Adjective

上(うわ)手(て) • (uwate) ^{←うはて (ufate)?}-na (adnominal 上(うわ)手(て)な (uwate na), adverbial 上(うわ)手(て)に (uwate ni))

1. superior, better
2. aggressive, bold, on the offensive

Synonyms

• (aggressive, bold, on the offensive): 高飛車(たかびしゃ) (takabisha)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “unaggressive, modest, on the defensive”): 下手(したて) (shitate)

Noun

上(うわ)手(て) • (uwate) ^{←うはて (ufate)?}

1. (sumo) an overhand hold
2. (sumo) the upper hand in an overhand hold
3. upstream, the upstream portion of a river
4. upwind
5. a skilled player of games, such as go or shogi

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “downstream, downwind, stage right”): 下手(しもて) (shimote)

Etymology 5

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

• (Tokyo) かみて [kàmíté] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) かみて [kàmítéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠mʲite̞]

Noun

上(かみ)手(て) • (kamite) 

1. upstream, the upstream portion of a river
2. upwind
3. uphill, the upper portion of a hill or other geographic feature
4. the head of a table, the seat of honor
5. stage left: the left-hand side of a stage when looking from the stage towards the audience
6. the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “downstream, downwind, stage right”): 下手(しもて) (shimote)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
上	手
かみ > こう Grade: 1	て Grade: 1
kun'yomi

/kamite/ → /kaũte/ → /kaute/ → /kɔːte/ → /koːte/

Shift from 上(かみ)手(て) (kamite).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ːte̞]

Noun

上(こう)手(て) • (kōte) ^{←かうて (kaute)?}

1. (rare) the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net

See also

• 上手(うま)い (umai)

References

• “上手”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026