手を上げる

Japanese

Kanji in this term
手	上
て Grade: 1	あ Grade: 1

Etymology

Phrase composed of 手 (te, “hand, hands”) + を (o, object particle) + 上げる (ageru, “to raise something”).

Verb

手(て)を上(あ)げる • (te o ageru) intransitive

1. to raise one's hand or hands

   Extended meanings include:

   1. to raise one's hands in supplication or surrender: to give up, to quit, to surrender
   2. to strike someone, or to threaten to do so: to raise one's fist, to raise one's hand against someone
   3. (idiomatic) to improve, to raise one's level of skill or competence
   4. to return one's hands to normal posture, after prostrating oneself (such as in deep apology or supplication)

Conjugation

Conjugation of "手を上げる" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	手を上げ	てをあげ	te o age
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	手を上げ	てをあげ	te o age
Shūshikei ("terminal")	手を上げる	てをあげる	te o ageru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	手を上げる	てをあげる	te o ageru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	手を上げれ	てをあげれ	te o agere
Meireikei ("imperative")	手を上げよ¹ 手を上げろ²	てをあげよ¹ てをあげろ²	te o ageyo¹ te o agero²
Key constructions
Passive	手を上げられる	てをあげられる	te o agerareru
Causative	手を上げさせる 手を上げさす	てをあげさせる てをあげさす	te o agesaseru te o agesasu
Potential	手を上げられる 手を上げれる³	てをあげられる てをあげれる³	te o agerareru te o agereru³
Volitional	手を上げよう	てをあげよう	te o ageyō
Negative	手を上げない 手を上げぬ 手を上げん	てをあげない てをあげぬ てをあげん	te o agenai te o agenu te o agen
Negative continuative	手を上げず	てをあげず	te o agezu
Formal	手を上げます	てをあげます	te o agemasu
Perfective	手を上げた	てをあげた	te o ageta
Conjunctive	手を上げて	てをあげて	te o agete
Hypothetical conditional	手を上げれば	てをあげれば	te o agereba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ³ Colloquial potential

Synonyms

• (give up): 匙(さじ)を投(な)げる (saji o nageru) literally, “to throw the spoon”

Related terms

• お手上(てあ)げ (oteage): throwing up one's hands, giving up, quitting (noun)