机き上じょう

き

じょ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

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

on the desk; desktop

Literal spatial meaning: something physically on or at a desk. Often used in compounds like 机上の (desktop, on-desk).

机き上じょうに書しょ類るいが山やま積づみになっている。
Documents are piled up on the desk.
机き上じょうのパソコンを立たち上あげる。
I start up the desktop computer.

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

theoretical; academic; armchair; paper-based; not yet implemented

Figurative use: ideas, plans, or discussions that exist only on paper or in theory, not yet tested or realized. Strongly associated with the set phrase 机上の空論 (armchair theory).

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を机き上じょうに置おくto put something on the desk
書しょ類るいを机き上じょうに置おいた。
I put the documents on the desk.
机き上じょうで〈事こと〉を検けん討とうするto consider something in theory (on paper, without practical testing)
その計けい画かくは机き上じょうで検けん討とうされただけで、実じっ際さいには試ためされていない。
That plan was only worked out on paper and has never actually been tried.

Expressions

机き上じょうの空くう論ろんarmchair theory; impractical idea; unworkable plan

Kanji

机desk, table
上above, up
几table, table enclosure, table or windy radical (no. 16)

Related words

理り論ろん的てき sense 2
理論的 is neutral academic language for 'theoretical', while 机上の carries a critical nuance that an idea is untested or impractical.
空くう論ろん sense 2
空論 is a noun meaning an empty, unworkable theory, closely tied to the fixed phrase 机上の空論, while 机上 alone just marks something as desk-bound or theoretical.
卓たく上じょう
卓上 describes something physically sized or designed to sit on a tabletop, like 卓上コンロ, while 机上 is more often used abstractly, as in 机上の空論 (an armchair theory).
紙し上じょう
机上 stresses that something exists only in theory or on paper (as in 机上の空論, 'armchair theorizing'), while 紙上 simply means something appears in written or printed form without that negative nuance.

Opposites

実じっ践せん的てきN1sense 2
実践的 describes something practical and hands-on, the direct opposite of the figurative 机上の sense of being untested theory.

Word family

机き上じょう版ばん
desk edition; desk dictionary
机き上じょう検けん査さ
desk checking
机き上じょうチェック
desk checking
机き上じょうデバッグ
desk debugging; desk checking

Written forms

机き上じょうUsage100%
Standard kanji form; high-frequency news word.
几き上じょう
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 机 (desk) and 上 (on, above). The figurative sense developed from the idea of something that exists only on a desk (i.e., in theory or on paper) rather than in practice.