上手

Chinese

Pronunciation 1

Noun

上手

1. Alternative form of 上首 (shàngshǒu, “honored one; seat of honor”)
2. predecessor; one's superior
3. player whose turn comes next
4. expert
5. (Cantonese) previous owner of real estate

Pronunciation 2

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):

Adverb

上手

1. (colloquial) at the outset

Japanese

Etymology 1

/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​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

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

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

/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​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

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) same as jōzu reading 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) same as jōzu reading above

Usage notes

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

Etymology 3

/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​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

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

1. (rare) alternate for 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

Compound of 上 (uwa, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うわて (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Adjective

上(うわ)手(て) • (uwate) -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) 

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

Compound of 上 (kami, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かみて (Heiban – )
• (Tokyo) かみて​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

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

/kamute/ → /kaute/ → /kɔːte/ → /koːte/

Originally a compound of 上 (kamu, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

上手(こうて) • (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