上
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
up, above |
| Strokes |
3 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
ジョウ、ショウ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
うえ、うわ、のぼ-る |
| Radical |
一 (ichi - one) |
Stroke Order
The kanji 上 follows the standard Japanese rule of writing horizontal strokes before vertical strokes.
- Stroke 1: The short vertical stroke starting from the middle.
- Stroke 2: The long horizontal stroke at the bottom.
- Stroke 3: The short horizontal stroke at the top right.
Note: In some calligraphic styles, the vertical stroke is written first, followed by the long horizontal base, and finally the top dot/dash.
Radical Analysis
The radical for 上 is 一 (ichi), the "one" radical. In this context, the long horizontal line acts as a baseline or "ground," and the other two strokes represent something positioned above that line. It is a simple ideograph representing a position relative to a surface.
Mnemonic
Imagine a table. The long horizontal line is the tabletop. The vertical line is a ball sitting on the table, and the top stroke is a flag sticking out of the ball, pointing even higher. Everything is "above" the table!
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ジョウ (Jō)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 上手 |
じょうず |
jōzu |
skillful |
| 屋上 |
おくじょう |
okujō |
rooftop |
| 上下 |
じょうげ |
jōge |
top and bottom |
ショウ (Shō)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 上人 |
しょうにん |
shōnin |
saint/holy man |
| 上手 |
かみて |
kamite |
stage right/upper seat |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
うえ (Ue)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 机の上 |
つくえのうえ |
tsukue no ue |
on the desk |
| 上の方 |
うえのほう |
ue no hō |
upper direction |
うわ (Uwa)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 上着 |
うわぎ |
uwagi |
jacket/outerwear |
| 上履き |
うわばき |
uwabaki |
indoor shoes |
のぼ-る (Nobo-ru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 山に上る |
やまにのぼる |
yama ni noboru |
to climb a mountain |
JLPT N5 Words Using 上
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 上 |
うえ |
ue |
above |
N5 |
| 上手 |
じょうず |
jōzu |
skillful |
N5 |
| 上着 |
うわぎ |
uwagi |
jacket |
N5 |
| 屋上 |
おくじょう |
okujō |
rooftop |
N4 |
| 上がる |
あがる |
agaru |
to go up |
N5 |
| 上げる |
あげる |
ageru |
to raise |
N5 |
| 上下 |
じょうげ |
jōge |
top and bottom |
N4 |
| 上旬 |
じょうじゅん |
jōjun |
first 10 days of month |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 本は机の上にあります。 |
ほんはつくえのうえにあります。 |
Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu. |
The book is on the desk. |
| 彼は料理が上手です。 |
かれはりょうりがじょうずです。 |
Kare wa ryōri ga jōzu desu. |
He is good at cooking. |
| 寒いので上着を着ます。 |
さむいのでうわぎをきます。 |
Samui node uwagi o kimasu. |
It's cold, so I will wear a jacket. |
| 階段を上ってください。 |
かいだんをのぼってください。 |
Kaidan o nobotte kudasai. |
Please go up the stairs. |
| 屋上から景色を見ました。 |
おくじょうからけしきをみました。 |
Okujō kara keshiki o mimashita. |
I saw the view from the rooftop. |
| 気温が上がりました。 |
きおんがあがりました。 |
Kion ga agarimashita. |
The temperature has gone up. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 上 |
うえ |
above |
The vertical stroke points up. |
| 下 |
した |
below |
The vertical stroke points down. |
| 止 |
と-まる |
stop |
Has an extra stroke on the left (the "hook"). |
Usage Frequency Note
上 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every newspaper, book, and daily conversation. Because it is used in both spatial contexts (above) and abstract contexts (skill, rank, or movement), it is essential for N5 learners to master early.