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Chinese
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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
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under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter
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simp. and trad. (上下)
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上
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下
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Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Noun
上下
- high and low
- from top to bottom
- up and down
- old and young
- relative superiority or inferiority
Synonyms
- (high and low): 高低 (gāodī), 高下 (gāoxià), (Hokkien) 懸下/悬下
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
Noun
上下
- (after round numbers) thereabouts; neighbourhood; about; or so
- Synonym: 左右 (zuǒyòu)
- 兩年上下/两年上下 ― liǎng nián shàngxià ― two years or so
Adverb
上下
- (Cantonese) almost; about to
1870, John Bunyan, translated by George H. Piercy, 《續天路歷程土話》 [Pilgrim's Progress. Pt. II Christiana. Canton Vernacular.], 羊城: 惠師禮堂, pages 6–7:
我想起呢樣、就見罪惡好重、心中愁悶到極、上下要死、好彩昨晚發得個夢、如今又有一個人嚟、𢬿好消息報我聽、我致忍得住呮。 [Cantonese, trad.]
我想起呢样、就见罪恶好重、心中愁闷到极、上下要死、好彩昨晚发得个梦、如今又有一个人嚟、𢬿好消息报我听、我致忍得住呮。 [Cantonese, simp.]- ngo5 soeng2 hei2 ni1 joeng6, zau6 gin3 zeoi6 ok3 hou2 cung5, sam1 zung1 sau4 mun6 dou3 gik6, soeng6 haa6-2 jiu3 sei2, hou2 coi2 zok6 maan5 faat3 dak1 go3 mung6, jyu4 gam1 jau6 jau5 jat1 go3 jan4 lai4, kaai2 hou2 siu1 sik1 bou3 ngo5 teng1, ngo5 zi3 jan2 dak1 zyu6 ze1.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
Verb
上下
- to go up and down
- (Meixian Hakka) to have contact with; to have dealings with
- (Taiwanese Hakka) to pass by
Synonyms
Derived terms
Descendants
Japanese
Etymology 1
Compound of 上がり (agari, “rising, going up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 上がる (agaru, “to rise, to go up”)) + 下り (ori, “descending, going down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 下りる (oriru, “to descend, to go down”)).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (agariori)
- ascending and descending, ascent and descent
Verb
上下する • (agarisagari suru) suru (stem 上下し (agarisagari shi), past 上下した (agarisagari shita))
- to ascend and descend, to go up and go down
Etymology 2
Compound of 上がり (agari, “rising, going up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 上がる (agaru, “to rise, to go up”)) + 下がり (sagari, “coming down, hanging down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 下がる (sagaru, “to come down, to hang down”)).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (agarisagari)
- rise and fall, fluctuation (as a level of something, such as a price)
Verb
上下する • (agarisagari suru) suru (stem 上下し (agarisagari shi), past 上下した (agarisagari shita))
- to rise and fall, to fluctuate (as a level of something, such as a price)
Etymology 3
Compound of 上げ (age, “raising, lifting up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上げる ageru, “to raise something, to lift something up”) + 下ろし (oroshi, “lowering, bringing down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下ろす orosu, “to lower something, to bring something down”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (ageoroshi)
- raising and lowering of something
- loading and unloading (as of the cargo in a ship)
- weaving on a loom (from the way the warp is raised and lowered)
Idioms
Etymology 4
Compound of 上げ (age, “raising, lifting up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上げる ageru, “to raise something, to lift something up”) + 下だし (kudashi, “putting something down; passing something through one's gut”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下す kudasu, “to put something down; to pass something through one's gut”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (agekudashi)
- bringing something back up and passing something → vomiting and having diarrhea
Etymology 5
Compound of 上げ (age, “raising, lifting up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上げる ageru, “to raise something, to lift something up”) + 下げ (sage, “lowering something, hanging something down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下げる sageru, “to lower something, to hang something down”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (agesage)
- raising and lowering of something
- (more specifically) the raising and lowering of prices
- praising and berating someone
- good times and bad times, thick and thin, ups and downs
- the start and finish of something (such as the process of setting a table for a meal, and then clearing up afterwards)
- the ebb and flow of the tides
Idioms
Verb
上下する • (agesage suru) suru (stem 上下し (agesage shi), past 上下した (agesage shita))
- to raise and lower something
- (more specifically) to raise and lower prices
- to praise and berate someone
- to start and finish something (such as the process of setting a table for a meal, and then clearing up afterwards)
- to ebb and flow, such as the tides
Etymology 6
Compound of 上 (ue, “up”) + 下 (shita, “down”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (ueshita) ←うへした (ufesita)?
- up and down, the upper and the lower
- the nobility and the commoners
- (in reference to western-style clothing) upper clothing (such as shirts and jackets) and lower clothing (such as trousers and socks)
- outerwear and underwear
- upside-down
Idioms
Idioms
- 上下の合方 (ueshita no aikata): “up and down accompaniment ” → a kind of music played during kabuki performances, where one person plays samisen, another sings the low part, and another sings the high part
Synonyms
Etymology 7
Compound of 上 (kami, “up, upper; first”) + 下 (shimo, “down, lower; last”).[1][2]
Pronunciation 1
Noun
上下 • (kamishimo)
- the upper and the lower
- (more specifically) upstream and downstream
- (more specifically) upstage and downstage
- (more specifically) high status and low status
- (more specifically) the city and the countryside
- (more specifically) the upper body and the lower body
- (more specifically) the first three lines and the last two lines of a traditional waka poem
- (more specifically) the first half the last half of a month
- various things
Pronunciation 2
Noun
上下 • (kamishimo)
- (traditional Japanese clothing) the robe and hakama as a set
- (by extension) extreme formality
Etymology 8
Compound of 上り (kari, “rising in tone”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上る karu, “to rise in tone”) + 下り (meri, “falling in tone”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下る meru, “to fall in tone”).[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (karimeri)
- (music) a rise in tone and a fall in tone
Verb
上下する • (karimeri suru) suru (stem 上下し (karimeri shi), past 上下した (karimeri shita))
- (music) to rise and fall in tone
Etymology 9
/ɕauka/ → /ɕɔːka/ → /ɕoːka/
From Middle Chinese compound 上下 (dzyangH hæX, literally “up and down”). Compare modern Cantonese reading soeng6 haa6 or Hakka song-ha.
The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (shōka) ←しやうか (syauka)?
- up and down
- the upper and the lower (especially, the rulers and the ruled)
- rising and falling
- an exchange of opinions
Verb
上下する • (shōka suru) ←しやうか (syauka)?suru (stem 上下し (shōka shi), past 上下した (shōka shita))
- to rise and fall
- to exchange opinions
Etymology 10
/d͡ʑauka/ → /d͡ʑɔːka/ → /d͡ʑoːka/
From Middle Chinese compound 上下 (dzyangH hæX, literally “up and down”). Compare modern Min Nan alternative reading chiūⁿ hā.
A mixed reading, using the goon of jō and the kan'on of ka.
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (jōka) ←じやうか (zyauka)?
- up and down
- high grade and low grade
- the upper and lower houses of the Diet or parliament
- ascending and descending, climbing up and climbing down
Verb
上下する • (jōka suru) ←じやうか (zyauka)?suru (stem 上下し (jōka shi), past 上下した (jōka shita))
- to ascend and descend, to climb up and climb down
Etymology 11
/d͡ʑauɡe/ → /d͡ʑɔːɡe/ → /d͡ʑoːɡe/
From Middle Chinese compound 上下 (dzyangH hæX, literally “up and down”). Compare modern Cantonese reading soeng6 haa6, Hakka song-ha, or Min Nan alternative reading chiūⁿ hā.
The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (jōge) ←じやうげ (zyauge)?
- the high and the low, the upper and the lower
- (clothing) a suit, a set of clothing consisting of garments for the upper and lower body
- rising and falling, ascent and descent
- the city and the country (the city is considered “up”)
- north and south (north is considered “up”)
- volumes one and two of a two-volume book or other document
- roundtrip travel on a river, going both upstream and downstream
- high rank and low rank
- the nobility and the commoners
- the lord and the ministers
- the old and the young
- an exchange of words, a discussion, question and answer
Synonyms
Derived terms
Verb
上下する • (jōge suru) ←じやうげ (zyauge)?suru (stem 上下し (jōge shi), past 上下した (jōge shita))
- to rise and fall, to ascend and descend
- to travel roundtrip on a river, going both upstream and downstream
- to exchange words, to discuss, to question and answer
Etymology 12
Compound of 上ぼり (nobori, “climbing, going up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上る noboru, “to climb, to go up”) + 下り (ori, “descending, going down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下りる oriru, “to descend, to go down”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (noboriori)
- ascending and descending, climbing and coming back down (particularly as of a person or thing travelling or moving up and down, such as stairs or levels)
Verb
上下する • (noboriori suru) suru (stem 上下し (noboriori shi), past 上下した (noboriori shita))
- to ascend and descend, to climb and come back down (particularly as of a person or thing travelling or moving up and down, such as stairs or levels)
Etymology 13
Compound of 上ぼり (nobori, “climbing, going up”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 上る noboru, “to climb, to go up”) + 下り (kudari, “descending, coming down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下る kudaru, “to descend a path, to come down a path”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
Noun
上下 • (noborikudari)
- climbing up and climbing down (particularly as of a person or path travelling or moving up and down, such as a road going uphill and downhill in the mountains)
- going upstream and downstream (such as on a river, or on a highway with “up” indicating towards a city)
Verb
上下する • (noborikudari suru) suru (stem 上下し (noborikudari shi), past 上下した (noborikudari shita))
- to climb up and climb down
- to go upstream and downstream (such as on a river, or on a highway with “up” indicating towards a city)
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN