上達
Meaning in Englishimprovement, progress, skill advancement
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
上達 means improvement or progress in one's skill or ability. It denotes the process of becoming more proficient through practice, instruction, or experience, and is used as a noun; it is commonly seen in phrases to express improvement, especially with the verb form that means 'to improve'.
Main meanings
- gradual growth of proficiency
- emphasis on advancing toward a higher level through sustained practice
- commonly used in educational, sports, and artistic contexts
- collocations and related forms emphasize the action of improving over time
How to use it
Used in both formal and informal contexts to describe improvement in skill, typically expressed with the suru-verb form that denotes becoming more proficient. In education, sports, arts, and language learning, it appears when noting progress, training outcomes, or mastery over time; it is commonly preceded by the subject, such as a person or a group, and followed by reference to the skill or domain being improved.
Variants and close terms
- 進歩, しんぽ — progress
- 熟達, じゅくたつ — mastery, proficiency
- 習熟, しゅうじゅく — becoming skilled
- 低下, ていか — decline
Composition
- 上: up, above; signals progression or upward movement
- 達: to reach, attain; conveys attainment or reaching a goal
- Combination: the two kanji together encode the idea of advancing to a higher level in ability
Etymology
じょうたつ (jōtatsu) combines on'yomi readings of 上 and 達 to form a Sino-Japanese compound; the phonology reflects standard kanji readings used for compounds.
Word class
Noun (suru-verb)