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上手

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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
 
hand; convenient; ‑er
simp. and trad.
(上手)

Pronunciation 1

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Rime
Character
Reading # 2/2 1/1
Initial () (25) (26)
Final () (105) (136)
Tone (調) Departing (H) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open Open
Division () III III
Fanqie
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

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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

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Verb

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上手

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

Adverb

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上手

  1. (colloquial) at the outset

Japanese

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
じょう
Grade: 1

Grade: 1
on'yomi

/d͡ʑauzu//d͡ʑɔːzu//d͡ʑoːzu/

From Middle Chinese compound 上手 (dzyangH syuwX, 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 for the first character, and the kan'yōon of zu for the second character.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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(じょう)() (jōzuじやうず (zyauzu)?-na (adnominal (じょう)() (jōzu na), adverbial (じょう)() (jōzu ni))

  1. skillful, dexterous
Inflection
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Antonyms
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Noun

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(じょう)() (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
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
じょう
Grade: 1
しゅ
Grade: 1
on'yomi

/d͡ʑauɕu//d͡ʑɔːɕu//d͡ʑoːɕu/

From Middle Chinese compound 上手 (dzyangH syuwX, 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

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

Adjective

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(じょう)(しゅ) (jōshuじやうしゆ (zyausyu)?-na (adnominal (じょう)(しゅ) (jōshu na), adverbial (じょう)(しゅ) (jōshu ni))

  1. (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above
Usage notes
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Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

Noun

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(じょう)(しゅ) (jōshuじやうしゆ (zyausyu)?

  1. (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above
Usage notes
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Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
じょう
Grade: 1

Grade: 1
jūbakoyomi

/d͡ʑaute//d͡ʑɔːte//d͡ʑoːte/

Variation on jōzu above, replacing the kan'yōon of zu with the kun'yomi of te.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(じょう)() (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
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Etymology 4

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Kanji in this term
うわ
Grade: 1

Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Compound of (uwa, up, upper) +‎ (te, hand).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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(うわ)() (uwate-na (adnominal (うわ)() (uwate na), adverbial (うわ)() (uwate ni))

  1. superior, better
  2. aggressive, bold, on the offensive
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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  • (antonym(s) of unaggressive, modest, on the defensive): 下手(したて) (shitate)

Noun

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(うわ)() (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
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Etymology 5

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Kanji in this term
かみ
Grade: 1

Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Compound of (kami, up, upper) +‎ (te, hand).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(かみ)() (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
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Etymology 6

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Kanji in this term
Grade: 1 Grade: 1
irregular

/kamute//kaute//kɔːte//koːte/

Originally a compound of (kamu, up, upper) +‎ (te, hand).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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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

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN