上 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 上 points upward: above, up, on top, the upper part of something. You'll meet it as a standalone position word (机の上 "on the desk," 上を見る "look up"), as the second half of compounds about going higher or exceeding a limit (以上 "more than," 屋上 "rooftop"), and inside verbs of rising and climbing (上がる, 上る). The shape itself is a great memory hook — a line above a baseline — so the picture matches the meaning exactly.
Watch out for one famous trap: 上手 is read じょうず ("skillful, good at"), an irregular reading you simply memorize. It does not follow the tidy rules below.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | うえ | 上 (above, on top), 机の上 (on the desk) |
| kun'yomi | あ.がる | 上がる (to go up, rise) |
| kun'yomi | のぼ.る | 上る (to climb, go up) |
| on'yomi | ジョウ | 以上 (more than), 屋上 (rooftop) |
Here's the rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi shows up when the kanji stands alone or carries a hiragana ending — うえ for the position word 上, and the verb readings あ.がる / のぼ.る for 上がる / 上る. The on'yomi ジョウ appears inside two-kanji compounds like 以上 and 屋上. The big exception to remember is 上手 = じょうず ("skillful"), which uses neither うえ nor the plain ジョウ pattern — it's just irregular.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 3, written top to bottom — the long horizontal baseline first, then the short vertical stroke standing up from it, then the short horizontal stroke near the top.
- Radical: 上 is classified under the 一 "one" radical (いち), the single horizontal line that forms its base. Picture a flat ground line with a mark rising above it — that's literally "up."
Recognizing the simple line-and-mark shape makes 上 easy to write and easy to tell apart from its mirror-image partner 下 ("below, down").
Common words using 上
Notice the reading split in action: the lone position word 上 takes うえ, the verbs 上がる / 上る take their kun readings, and the compounds 以上 / 屋上 flip to ジョウ. The one that breaks the pattern is 上手 (じょうず) — flag it now so it never trips you up later.
Example sentences
ヤッタンのおもちゃは机の上にあります。
ヤッタンの おもちゃは つくえの うえに あります。
Yattan's toy is on top of the desk.
上 — the kun'yomi うえ, the standalone position word.
モチは屋上まで階段を上った。
モチは おくじょうまで かいだんを のぼった。
Mochi climbed the stairs up to the rooftop.
Two readings in one sentence: 屋上 (ジョウ) and 上った (のぼ.る).
先生は「弟は絵が上手ですね」と言いました。
せんせいは「おとうとは えが じょうずですね」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Your little brother is good at drawing, isn't he?'
上手 = じょうず, the famous irregular reading meaning 'skillful.'
Quick recap
- 上 = above / up / on top; just 3 strokes; built on the 一 "one" radical.
- うえ when it stands alone (上, 机の上); the verbs use あ.がる (上がる) and のぼ.る (上る).
- ジョウ inside compounds (以上, 屋上) — but memorize the irregular 上手 = じょうず ("skillful").
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 上 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 上 in 上 vs 以上?
Alone it's the kun'yomi うえ (上 = うえ, 'above / on top'). In the compound 以上 it's the on'yomi ジョウ (以上 = いじょう, 'more than'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
Why is 上手 read じょうず and not じょうて?
上手 (じょうず, 'skillful, good at') is an irregular reading you simply memorize. It doesn't follow the normal うえ / ジョウ patterns, so treat it as a fixed vocabulary item.
What's the difference between 上がる and 上る?
Both involve going up. 上がる (あがる) means 'to go up / rise' in a general sense, while 上る (のぼる) is more about climbing or ascending, such as going up stairs or a slope.
How many strokes does 上 have, and what's its radical?
上 has just 3 strokes and is classified under the 一 'one' radical — the horizontal baseline at the bottom, with a mark rising above it to mean 'up.'