アップ

• Reading: アップ
• Romaji: appu
• Pronunciation: /aʔ.pɯ/

Meaning

Up; increase; upload; close-up. A loanword used in many compound expressions meaning upward movement or improvement.

A noun, suffix, and suru verb borrowed from English 'up.' Extremely versatile in modern Japanese. Common uses include レベルアップ (level up), スピードアップ (speed up), コストアップ (cost increase), アップする (to upload/to increase), and アップで撮る (to take a close-up shot). As a suffix, it attaches to many nouns to indicate improvement or increase.

Examples

1. 新しい写真をSNSにアップした。 I uploaded a new photo to social media.
2. 給料がアップして本当にうれしい。 I'm really happy my salary went up.
3. カメラをアップにして顔を撮った。 I zoomed in with the camera and took a close-up of the face.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, business, photography

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'up.' Entered Japanese during the post-war period and expanded into dozens of compound expressions unique to Japanese usage.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal