あげる (上げる): One Verb, Many Meanings (with Examples)
Why one verb has so many meanings
The first time you meet あげる it may feel like two or three different words sharing a sound — raise? give? finish? But there's one thread tying them together: something goes up.
A hand goes up (raise). A price or a score goes up (increase). When you give a present, you politely "send it up" to the receiver (give). And finishing a job means bringing it up to completion (仕上げる). Hold that single "move it upward" image and the long list below stops being a memory chore — it's one idea wearing different outfits.
One structural note before the meanings: 上げる is the transitive verb (you do it to something). It has an intransitive twin, 上がる (あがる, "something rises / goes up on its own"), which we'll compare at the end — it's a classic JLPT trap.
The meanings, most common first
1. To raise / lift up (上げる)
ヤッタンは元気よく手を上げた。
ヤッタンは げんきよく てを あげた。
Yattan raised his hand energetically.
2. To give (あげる)
ヤッタンはモチにプレゼントをあげた。
ヤッタンは モチに プレゼントを あげた。
Yattan gave Mochi a present.
In the meaning 'to give,' あげる is almost always written in kana. Use it for giving to an equal or someone younger.
3. To raise / increase (a number, level) (上げる)
店は来月から値段を上げる。
みせは らいげつから ねだんを あげる。
The shop will raise its prices from next month.
値段を上げる (raise prices), 成績を上げる (improve grades), スピードを上げる (speed up) all use 上げる.
4. To improve / boost (a result) (上げる)
弟は毎日勉強して成績を上げた。
おとうとは まいにち べんきょうして せいせきを あげた。
My little brother studied every day and raised his grades.
5. To speed up (スピードを上げる)
先生は「もう少しスピードを上げてください」と言った。
せんせいは「もうすこし スピードを あげて ください」と いった。
Sensei said, please speed up a little.
A fixed phrase: スピードを上げる = to go faster; スピードを下げる = to slow down.
6. To raise / lift one's voice (声を上げる)
モチは驚いて声を上げた。
モチは おどろいて こえを あげた。
Mochi was surprised and cried out.
声を上げる = to raise one's voice / cry out — again, something goes 'up.'
7. To finish up / complete (仕上げる)
ヤッタンは作文を一日で仕上げた。
ヤッタンは さくぶんを いちにちで しあげた。
Yattan finished his essay in a single day.
仕上げる (N4) = to finish off / put the final touches on — bring a task 'up' to done.
8. To do (something) for someone (〜てあげる)
ヤッタンはモチに本を読んであげた。
ヤッタンは モチに ほんを よんで あげた。
Yattan read a book for Mochi.
Attach あげる to a te-form verb to mean 'do it for someone.' See the 〜てあげる grammar guide.
And it keeps going, all from the same "move it up" image: 顔を上げる (to look up / lift one's face), 例を上げる (to give an example), 効果を上げる (to produce results). Once the core image clicks, most of them feel intuitive.
Common collocations worth memorizing
Some 上げる phrases are so fixed that natives treat them as single units. Learn these as chunks and you'll sound natural fast:
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 手を上げる | to raise one's hand |
| 値段を上げる | to raise prices |
| 成績を上げる | to improve one's grades |
| スピードを上げる | to speed up |
| 声を上げる | to raise one's voice / cry out |
| 例を上げる | to give an example |
| プレゼントをあげる | to give a present |
Kanji & related あげる verbs
The everyday kanji is 上 ("up / above"). When あげる means "to raise / lift / increase," write it 上げる. But when it means "to give," it's almost always left in kana (あげる) — writing 上げる there can look stiff or odd, so kana is the safe default for the giving verb.
Watch out, though: a couple of different あげる verbs are written with different kanji:
- 揚げる (あげる, N3) — to deep-fry (天ぷらを揚げる)
- 挙げる (あげる, N3) — to raise / cite (an example), to hold (an event): 例を挙げる, 式を挙げる
At N5, focus on the all-purpose 上げる / あげる. Just know the others exist so they don't surprise you later.
上げる vs 上がる — the trap
These two are a transitive/intransitive pair, and the JLPT loves testing them. The difference is who's doing it:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 上げる (あげる, transitive) | Someone does the action to something | 値段を上げる = (the shop) raises the price |
| 上がる (あがる, intransitive) | Something rises / goes up on its own | 値段が上がる = the price goes up |
A neat way to feel it: with 上げる you can point to the person doing it, and the object takes を; with 上がる nothing is being acted on — you're just describing how things change, and the subject takes が. 手を上げる = "I raise my hand"; 気温が上がる = "the temperature rises" (it just does, no one lifts it).
One more pair to keep separate from this: the giving verb あげる sits in the giving family. あげる = I/we give to someone (equal or younger). くれる = someone gives to me/my side. もらう = I receive. So プレゼントをあげる (I give a present) vs プレゼントをくれる (someone gives me a present) vs プレゼントをもらう (I get a present).
Quick recap
- One image powers them all: move / push X upward.
- High-value chunks: 手を上げる, 値段を上げる, スピードを上げる, プレゼントをあげる.
- It's a transitive ru-verb; its partner 上がる (あがる) is intransitive.
- "To give" あげる is usually written in kana and belongs to the あげる／くれる／もらう family.
- Other あげる kanji (揚げる to fry, 挙げる to cite) are different verbs — learn them later.
Your turn
Ready to test your N5 vocabulary in context?
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is あげる a ru-verb or u-verb?
あげる is a Group 2 (ru-verb / ichidan) verb: あげ-る → あげ-ます, あげ-て, あげ-ない. It conjugates just like 食べる.
When do I write あげる in kana vs 上げる in kanji?
Use 上げる for to raise / lift / increase (手を上げる, 値段を上げる). Use kana あげる for the giving verb (プレゼントをあげる) — kanji there looks unnatural.
What is the difference between 上げる and 上がる?
上げる (あげる) is transitive: someone raises something, and the object takes を — 値段を上げる. 上がる (あがる) is intransitive: something rises on its own, and the subject takes が — 値段が上がる.
How is あげる different from くれる and もらう?
あげる = I give to someone else. くれる = someone gives to me/my side. もらう = I receive. They describe the same exchange from different points of view.