上手

上手

1. left-hand seat; seat of honor
2. predecessor; one's superior
3. player whose turn comes next
4. expert
5. (Cantonese) previous owner of real estate

上手

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

上手

1. (colloquial) at the outset

/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.

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) じょーず​ [jòózúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːzɨᵝ]

上手 (-na inflection, hiragana じょうず, rōmaji jōzu, historical hiragana じやうず)

1. skillful, dexterous

• 下 (へ)手 (た) (heta)

上手 (hiragana じょうず, rōmaji jōzu, historical hiragana じやうず)

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

• (skill, dexterity): 下 (へ)手 (た) (heta)

/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.

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) じょーしゅ​ [jòóshúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
  • IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːɕɨᵝ]

上手 (-na inflection, hiragana じょうしゅ, rōmaji jōshu, historical hiragana じやうしゆ)

1. (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

上手 (hiragana じょうしゅ, rōmaji jōshu, historical hiragana じやうしゆ)

1. (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

/d͡ʑaute/ → /d͡ʑɔːte/ → /d͡ʑoːte/

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

• Jūbakoyomi
  • (Tokyo) じょーて​ [jòótéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːte̞]

上手 (hiragana じょうて, rōmaji jōte, historical hiragana じやうて)

1. (rare) alternate for jōzu above
2. Short for 上手物 (jōtemono): an exquisite piece of workmanship

• (crude piece of workmanship): 下手物 (げてもの) (getemono)

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

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) うわて [ùwáté] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝɰᵝa̠te̞]

上手 (-na inflection, hiragana うわて, rōmaji uwate)

1. superior, better
2. aggressive, bold, on the offensive

• (aggressive, bold, on the offensive): 高飛車 (たかびしゃ) (takabisha)

• (unaggressive, modest, on the defensive): 下手 (したて) (shitate)

上手 (hiragana うわて, rōmaji 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

• (downstream, downwind, stage right): 下手 (しもて) (shimote)

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

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) かみて [kàmíté] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • (Tokyo) かみて​ [kàmítéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [ka̠mʲite̞]

上手 (hiragana かみて, rōmaji 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

• (downstream, downwind, stage right): 下手 (しもて) (shimote)

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

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

• (Irregular reading)
  • IPA^(key): [ko̞ːte̞]

上手 (hiragana こうて, rōmaji kōte, historical hiragana かうて)

1. (rare) the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net