上げる
🃏 Flashcard
上げる
ageru
Tap to reveal usage
to finish doing~
N3
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N3
Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast
Reading
ageru
Post ID
50813
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
to finish doing~
📖 How to use it
Used to express completing an action, often implying the action was done fully or with some effort.
Attaches to
Attach to the ます-stem of a verb (e.g., 読みます -> 読み上げる).
This pattern combines a verb's ます-stem with 上げる to indicate that the action is performed completely or brought to an end. It often adds a nuance of doing something thoroughly, or with a sense of finality. For example, 読み上げる means 'to read out loud (to the end)', and 使い上げる means 'to use up completely'.
In everyday conversation, this pattern is less common than in written or formal contexts. It can sound a bit stiff if used too casually. However, it is natural in situations like reading a document aloud, spending all your money, or finishing a task that took effort.
この本を最後まで読み上げた。
Kono hon o saigo made yomiageta.
I read this book all the way to the end.
お金を使い上げてしまった。
Okane o tsukaiagete shimatta.
I ended up spending all my money.
レポートを書き上げるのに三日かかった。
Repooto o kakiageru no ni mikka kakatta.
It took three days to finish writing the report.
Not ～終わる
Both indicate completion, but ～終わる simply means 'to finish doing something' without the nuance of effort or doing it fully. For example, 読み終わる just means 'to finish reading', while 読み上げる implies reading out loud or reading thoroughly to the end.
Register
This pattern is more common in written or formal speech; in casual conversation, ～終わる or just the te-form with しまう is often used.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
上げる
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat 上げる three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using 上げる. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N3 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern 上げる mean?
▼
To finish doing~
What JLPT level is 上げる?
▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use 上げる in a sentence?
▼
Attach 上げる (ageru) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is 上げる formal or casual Japanese?
▼
上げる is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember 上げる long-term?
▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.