上じょう流りゅう

じょ

う

りゅ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

Refers to the upper part of a river or stream. Can be used as a noun or with の to modify another noun.

。

There is a dam in the upper reaches of the river.

上じょう流りゅう地ち域いきでは大おお雨あめが続つづいている。

Heavy rain continues in the upstream area.

2

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

Refers to the upper echelons of society, often in terms of wealth or status. Antonym: 下流 (lower classes).

Antonyms: 下流

〈川かわ〉の上じょう流りゅうthe upper reaches of a river
この川かわの上じょう流りゅうには美うつくしい景色けしきが広ひろがっている。
The upper reaches of this river have beautiful scenery.
〈人ひと〉は上じょう流りゅうの出しゅっ身しんだsomeone comes from an upper-class background
彼かれは上じょう流りゅうの出しゅっ身しんで、礼れい儀ぎ正ただしい。
He comes from an upper-class background and is very polite.
上じょう流りゅうから下か流りゅうまでfrom upstream to downstream (of a river)
上じょう流りゅうから下か流りゅうまで水すい質しつを調ちょう査さした。
They surveyed the water quality from upstream to downstream.

川かわ上かみ sense 1
川上 is a plain, everyday word for the upstream part of a river, while 上流 is more formal and also extends metaphorically to social status.
上じょう層そう
上層 refers broadly to an upper stratum or level (e.g. of an organization), whereas 上流 specifically means the wealthy, high-status class of society.

下か流りゅうN1sense 2
downstream; lower reaches of a river · lower classes; lower strata of society
中ちゅう流りゅうN1
上流 refers to the upper reaches of a river or the upper class, the upward counterpart to 中流 in both river and social-class senses.

Compound of 上 (upper) and 流 (flow, stream). The social sense is a metaphorical extension of the river sense.

上じょう流りゅう階かい級きゅう

upper class; the elite