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啓上 (けいじょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

啓けい上じょう

け

い

じょ

う

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

speaking respectfully; stating humbly

humble (kenjougo)

Humble expression used in formal letters, often as an opening phrase like 一筆啓上 (ippitsu keijō) meaning 'I write to you respectfully'. Describes the writer's own act of speaking or writing with deference.

See also: 一筆啓上

一いっ筆ぴつ啓けい上じょういたします。
I write to you respectfully.

時じ候こうの挨あい拶さつの後あと、用よう件けんを啓けい上じょうします。

After the seasonal greeting, I will state my business humbly.

Kanji

啓disclose, open, say
上above, up

Similar words

申もうし上あげる
A general humble verb for 'to say' or 'to tell', used in speech and writing. 啓上 is more formal and specifically associated with written correspondence.
一いっ筆ぴつ啓けい上じょう
A set phrase meaning 'a brief note' or 'I write to you respectfully', often used at the beginning of a letter. 啓上 is the core humble expression within this phrase.

Etymology

Composed of 啓 (kei, 'to open, to state') and 上 (jō, 'up, to present'), conveying the idea of humbly presenting one's words to a superior. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in formal correspondence for centuries.