N3 Compound Verbs and Suffixes

~上あげる/~上あがる: meaning, usage and examples

~上あげる/~上あがる means: to finish up / to be completed.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. この小説しょうせつを、一いっか月げつで書かき上あげた。

   I wrote this novel in one month. (I finished writing it.)

2. ケーキが焼やき上あがりましたよ。

   The cake is all baked!

3. レポートを朝あさまでに書かき上あげました。

   I finished writing the report by morning.

4. もうすぐご飯はんが炊たき上あがります。

   The rice will be done cooking soon.

When to use it

Attach 上あげる to a verb stem to say you finished a piece of work completely, usually something that takes effort, like writing a report or making a dress. Use 上あがる when the focus is on the thing itself being done, with no doer mentioned: the bread is baked, the photos are printed, the dish is ready. Both stress that the result is complete and ready to use.

Nuance

Used in speech and writing. It suggests effort and a finished product, so it fits making and creating verbs: 書かき上あげる, 作つくり上あげる, 焼やき上あがる, でき上あがる. It sounds odd with simple actions like eating or reading; use 終おわる for those.

Compare

上あげる vs 上あがる: 上あげる has a person doing it (レポートを書かき上あげた = I finished writing the report). 上あがる describes the thing (パンが焼やき上あがった = the bread is done). ~上あげる vs ~終おわる: 終おわる only says the action ended (本ほんを読よみ終おわった). 上あげる adds the idea of a finished piece of work.

Tip: Learn でき上あがる (to be finished) as your model. If you cannot picture a finished product at the end, use ~終おわる instead.