also: かみて
General term for the upper portion of something. Can be used as a noun or adjectival noun.
The wrestler quickly got an over-arm grip with his right hand.
Please don't put heavy things on the upper part of the shelf.
upper stream; upper course of a river
Only with reading かみて
Refers to the upstream portion of a river. Reading is かみて.
この川の上手にはダムがある。
There is a dam in the upper course of this river.
stage left (actor's POV); right side of the stage (audience's POV)
Only with reading かみて
Theater and performance term. From the audience's perspective, it is the right side of the stage; from the actor's perspective, it is stage left. Reading is かみて.
俳優は上手から登場した。
The actor entered from stage left.
Only with reading うわて
Used in comparisons to indicate greater skill or ability. Often appears in phrases like 一枚上手 (one level above). Reading is うわて.
彼は私より一枚上手だ。
He is one step ahead of me in skill.
over-arm grip on opponent's belt
Only with reading うわて
Sumo term for a grip where the wrestler reaches over the opponent's arm to grab the back of the belt. Reading is うわて.
横綱は上手を取って一気に寄り切った。
The yokozuna got an over-arm belt grip and quickly forced his opponent out.
He broke his opponent's over-arm grip before pushing forward.
上手 (うわて) means the upper part—upstream, or stage-right from the audience's view—while 下手 (しもて) is the exact opposite, the lower or downstream/stage-left side.
In a comparison of skill, 上手 (うわて) is the one with the advantage, while 下手 (したて) is the one at a disadvantage, as in phrases contrasting the two.
上手 (うわて) is used in comparative expressions like 一枚上手 to mean 'one level above', while 上手い (うまい) is the everyday adjective simply meaning 'skillful' or 'delicious'.
right-handed outside grip on the opponent's belt
left-handed outside grip on the opponent's belt
one step ahead; a cut above; one up
overhand throw · outer-arm throw
overarm twisting throw
pulling overarm throw
Standard kanji spelling for both うわて and かみて readings. Context or furigana may be needed to disambiguate.
Kana spelling used when the うわて reading is intended, especially for the sumo term or to avoid confusion with かみて.
Kana spelling used when the かみて reading is intended, especially for stage directions or river geography.
The kanji 上 (up/above) and 手 (hand) combine to suggest 'upper hand' or 'upstream'. The reading うわて derives from 上 (うわ, upper) + 手 (て, hand), while かみて comes from 上 (かみ, upper/upstream) + 手 (て).