JLPT N5 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
上 means above, up. It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 3 strokes, read うえ or じょう. It is built from 2 parts: 卜 (divining, fortune-telling), 一 (one, one radical (no.1)). It appears in 上着 (coat / jacket) and 上手 (be good at / skillful).
上 is written in 3 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
上 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上 | うえ | above (up / top / etc.) |
| 上着 | うわぎ | coat / jacket |
| 上手 | じょうず | be good at / skillful |
These use 卜 or 一 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
Sumi teaches the character before it tests you: stroke order animated, the breakdown above shown as a pull-apart X-ray, then spaced review. Free, in your browser, no signup.
Start with kanji, free