上in terms of; for … reasons
Straight after certain nouns, 上 is read じょう and narrows what you say to one side of things: legally, for safety, given your position. It is the wording of notices, contracts and the news.
Legally, there is no problem with this contract.
before a noun
I left my job for health reasons.
How to form it
Noun + 上
No の before it: 法律上. Before another noun, 上の: 健康上の理由. Only certain nouns take it, mostly two-kanji words for a field or a side of life.
Which 上?
The word before 上 and the kana after it tell you which one you have, and how to read it.
"After doing, and on that basis".
Please check the contents, and then sign.
Dictionary form or noun + の + 上でN2
"In doing, for the purposes of".
the things you need for daily life
"On top of that": a second point of the same kind.
This place is cheap, and on top of that, the food is good.
"Now that", then what you are bound to do. Stiff.
Now that I have taken it on, I will see it through.
Noun + 上N2This page
Straight after the noun, read じょう: "in terms of".
legally; health reasons; given your position
Words you'll meet
安全上for safety
For safety reasons, no one except authorized personnel may enter.
教育上educationally; for a child's upbringing
From an educational standpoint, it is not appropriate to show this video to children.
仕事上in your work, through work
I only know him through work.
立場上given your position
In my position, I can't answer that question.
都合上because of limits on time, space or money
As time is short, we will stop taking questions here.
事実上in effect, in practice
That plan has, in effect, been canceled.
Also common: 表面上 (on the surface), 経験上 (from experience), 理論上 (in theory), 便宜上 (for convenience). 仕事上 and 立場上 are said in conversation too.
Three things to know
It says only that much
法律上は問題がない is "legally it's fine", and no more than that. With は, a "but" is usually on its way.
They look the same from the outside, but their internal structures differ.
You can't make your own
English puts "-wise" on anything. 上 stays with the words it is known with. Elsewhere the everyday tool is 的に.
Not said: お金上、
(Money-wise, a trip is out of the question this year.)
金銭的に無理だ.
ネット上 is plain "on"
In ネット上, 画面上 and 地図上 it is plain "on": online, on screen, on the map.
That video is the talk of the internet.
Close neighbours
的N3
The everyday "-al" and "-ally". 法律的に and 法律上 mean much the same.
I gave up on studying abroad for financial reasons.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
安全
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which sentence is natural?
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
Two set phrases: 一身上の都合, "personal reasons", in a letter of resignation, and 歴史上の人物, a figure from history.
I am resigning for personal reasons.
More sentences
Because of a health problem, I am going to be off work for a while.
As a matter of procedure, we need the person's own signature.
Information learned in the course of one's duties must not be disclosed outside the organization.
Going by the data, sales are recovering.
For convenience, I will give each department a number as I explain.