# 上手
## Chinese
### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): shàngshǒu
    (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): soeng$^6$ sau$^2$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): siang$^5$ siu$^2$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): song-sú
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): siōng-chhiú / siāng-chhiú
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$zaon-seu
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shàngshǒu
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shàngshǒu
*** Wade–Giles: shang$^4$-shou$^3$
*** Yale: shàng-shǒu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanqshoou
*** Palladius: шаншоу (šanšou)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$上手 上首
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: soeng$^6$ sau$^2$
*** Yale: seuhng sáu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: soeng$^6$ sau$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: sêng$^6$ seo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /sœːŋ²² sɐu̯³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: siang$^5$ siu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /siaŋ³² siu⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: song-sú
*** Hakka Romanization System: song su$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: song$^4$ su$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /soŋ⁵⁵ su³¹/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siōng-chhiú
*** Tâi-lô: siōng-tshiú
*** Phofsit Daibuun: sioxngchiuo
*** IPA (Taipei): /siɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɔŋ³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁴¹/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /siɔŋ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /siɔŋ⁴¹⁻²² t͡sʰiu⁵⁵⁴/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siāng-chhiú
*** Tâi-lô: siāng-tshiú
*** Phofsit Daibuun: siaxngchiuo
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /siaŋ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$zaon-seu
*** MiniDict: zaon$^去$ seu
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$zaan-seu
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zɑ̃²² sɤ⁴⁴/
* Middle Chinese: dzyangH syuwX
Rime :
| Character | 上 | 手 |
| Reading # | 2/2 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 常 (25) | 書 (26) |
| Final (韻) | 陽 (105) | 尤 (136) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | III | III |
| Fanqie | 時亮切 | 書九切 |
| Baxter | dzyangH | syuwX |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /d͡ʑɨɐŋ$^H$/ | /ɕɨu$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /d͡ʑiɐŋ$^H$/ | /ɕiu$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /d͡ʑiɑŋ$^H$/ | /ɕiəu$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /d͡ʑɨaŋ$^H$/ | /ɕuw$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /ʑiaŋ$^H$/ | /ɕiu$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /ʑĭaŋ$^H$/ | /ɕĭəu$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ʑi̯aŋ$^H$/ | /ɕi̯ə̯u$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | shàng | shǒu |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | soeng$^6$ | sau$^2$ |

#### Noun

上手
* Alternative form of 上首 (shàngshǒu, “honored one; seat of honor”)
* predecessor; one's superior
* (card games) player whose turn comes next
* expert
* (philosophy) ready-to-hand
* (Cantonese) previous owner of real estate

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): shàngshǒu
    (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): soeng$^5$ sau$^2$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): siang$^1$ siu$^2$
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chiūⁿ-chhiú / chiōⁿ-chhiú / chiǔⁿ-chhiú
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shàngshǒu
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄡˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shàngshǒu
*** Wade–Giles: shang$^4$-shou$^3$
*** Yale: shàng-shǒu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanqshoou
*** Palladius: шаншоу (šanšou)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$上手 上首
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: soeng$^5$ sau$^2$
*** Yale: séuhng sáu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: soeng$^5$ sau$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: sêng$^5$ seo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /sœːŋ¹³ sɐu̯³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: siang$^1$ siu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /siaŋ³³ siu⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiūⁿ-chhiú
*** Tâi-lô: tsiūnn-tshiú
*** Phofsit Daibuun: cviuxchiuo
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siũ³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁴¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /t͡siũ³³⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siũ²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiōⁿ-chhiú
*** Tâi-lô: tsiōnn-tshiú
*** Phofsit Daibuun: cvioixchiuo
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɔ̃²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiǔⁿ-chhiú
*** Tâi-lô: tsiǔnn-tshiú
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siũ²² t͡sʰiu⁵⁵⁴/

#### Verb

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

##### Synonyms

* (to start):
* 下手 (xiàshǒu)
* 入手 (rùshǒu)
* 動手／动手 (dòngshǒu)
* 喐手
* 著手／着手 (zhuóshǒu)
* 落手 (lok$^6$ sau$^2$) (Cantonese, Hokkien)
* 起手 (qǐshǒu)

#### Adverb

上手
* (colloquial) at the outset

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| じょう Grade: 1 | ず Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi ||
/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.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) じょーず [jòózúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
* IPA: [d͡ʑo̞ːzɨ]

#### Adjective

上(じょう)手(ず) • (jōzu) -na (adnominal 上(じょう)手(ず)な (jōzu na), adverbial 上(じょう)手(ず)に (jōzu ni))
* skillful, dexterous

##### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | 上手だろ | じょうずだろ | jōzu daro |
| Continuative (連用形) | 上手で | じょうずで | jōzu de |
| Terminal (終止形) | 上手だ | じょうずだ | jōzu da |
| Attributive (連体形) | 上手な | じょうずな | jōzu na |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | 上手なら | じょうずなら | jōzu nara |
| Imperative (命令形) | 上手であれ | じょうずであれ | jōzu de are |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | 上手ではない 上手じゃない | じょうずではない じょうずじゃない | jōzu de wa nai jōzu ja nai |
| Informal past | 上手だった | じょうずだった | jōzu datta |
| Informal negative past | 上手ではなかった 上手じゃなかった | じょうずではなかった じょうずじゃなかった | jōzu de wa nakatta jōzu ja nakatta |
| Formal | 上手です | じょうずです | jōzu desu |
| Formal negative | 上手ではありません 上手じゃありません | じょうずではありません じょうずじゃありません | jōzu de wa arimasen jōzu ja arimasen |
| Formal past | 上手でした | じょうずでした | jōzu deshita |
| Formal negative past | 上手ではありませんでした 上手じゃありませんでした | じょうずではありませんでした じょうずじゃありませんでした | jōzu de wa arimasen deshita jōzu ja arimasen deshita |
| Conjunctive | 上手で | じょうずで | jōzu de |
| Conditional | 上手なら（ば） | じょうずなら（ば） | jōzu nara (ba) |
| Provisional | 上手だったら | じょうずだったら | jōzu dattara |
| Volitional | 上手だろう | じょうずだろう | jōzu darō |
| Adverbial | 上手に | じょうずに | jōzu ni |
| Degree | 上手さ | じょうずさ | jōzusa |

##### Antonyms

* 下手(へた) (heta)

#### Noun

上(じょう)手(ず) • (jōzu)
* (rare) skill, dexterity
* 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.
* a person with the seventh dan in the games of shogi or go

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “skill, dexterity”): 下手(へた) (heta)

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| じょう Grade: 1 | しゅ Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi ||
/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.

#### Pronunciation

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

#### Adjective

上(じょう)手(しゅ) • (jōshu) -na (adnominal 上(じょう)手(しゅ)な (jōshu na), adverbial 上(じょう)手(しゅ)に (jōshu ni))
* (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above

##### Usage notes

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

#### Noun

上(じょう)手(しゅ) • (jōshu)
* (obsolete) same as jōzu reading above

##### Usage notes

Obsolete. Replaced by the jōzu reading above.

### Etymology 3

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| じょう Grade: 1 | て Grade: 1 |
| jūbakoyomi ||
/d͡ʑaute/ → /d͡ʑɔːte/ → /d͡ʑoːte/
Variation on jōzu above, replacing the kan'yōon of zu with the kun'yomi of te.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) じょーて [jòótéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
* IPA: [d͡ʑo̞ːte̞]

#### Noun

上(じょう)手(て) • (jōte)
* (rare) alternate for jōzu above
* Short for 上手物 (jōtemono): an exquisite piece of workmanship

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “crude piece of workmanship”): 下手物(げてもの) (getemono)

### Etymology 4

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| うわ Grade: 1 | て Grade: 1 |
| kun'yomi ||
Compound of 上 (uwa, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) うわて [ùwáté] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ɯ̟β̞a̠te̞]

#### Adjective

上(うわ)手(て) • (uwate) -na (adnominal 上(うわ)手(て)な (uwate na), adverbial 上(うわ)手(て)に (uwate ni))
* superior, better
* aggressive, bold, on the offensive

##### Synonyms

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

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “unaggressive, modest, on the defensive”): 下手(したて) (shitate)

#### Noun

上(うわ)手(て) • (uwate)
* (sumo) an overhand hold
* (sumo) the upper hand in an overhand hold
* upstream, the upstream portion of a river
* upwind
* a skilled player of games, such as go or shogi

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “downstream, downwind, stage right”): 下手(しもて) (shimote)

### Etymology 5

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| かみ Grade: 1 | て Grade: 1 |
| kun'yomi ||
Compound of 上 (kami, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かみて [kàmíté] (Heiban – [0])
* (Tokyo) かみて [kàmítéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
* IPA: [ka̠mʲite̞]

#### Noun

上(かみ)手(て) • (kamite)
* upstream, the upstream portion of a river
* upwind
* uphill, the upper portion of a hill or other geographic feature
* the head of a table, the seat of honor
* stage left: the left-hand side of a stage when looking from the stage towards the audience
* the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “downstream, downwind, stage right”): 下手(しもて) (shimote)

### Etymology 6

Kanji in this term :
| 上 | 手 |
| Grade: 1 | Grade: 1 |
| irregular ||
/kamute/ → /kaute/ → /kɔːte/ → /koːte/
Originally a compound of 上 (kamu, “up, upper”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ko̞ːte̞]

#### Noun

上手(こうて) • (kōte)
* (rare) the left-hand side of a drawstring on a fishing net

### See also

* 上手(うま)い (umai)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 5 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN