「～上に」- Adding Information

Explanation

In Japanese, ～上に is a commonly used grammatical structure that means "not only... but also..." It can be used after verbs in their plain form, adjectives, and nouns to indicate that another situation or condition is added on top of an existing one.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
～上に	Plain form of verbs, plain form of い-adjectives, な-adjective stem + な/である, noun + である + 上に	Used to add another situation or condition on top of an existing one.

Basic Usage

Connection Rules

The connection rules for ～上に are as follows:

Word Type	Connection
Verb	Plain form of verb + 上に
い-Adjective	Plain form of い-adjective + 上に
な-Adjective	な-adjective stem + な/である + 上に
Noun	Noun + である + 上に

Usage Explanation

～上に is used to add another situation or condition on top of an existing one. The added information is often more extreme or significant than the first, and it can be either positive or negative.

Examples

• 台風たいふうが近ちかづいている上に、風かぜが強つよく降ふりている。
• Taifuu ga chikazuite iru ue ni, kaze ga tsuyoku futte iru.
• Not only is the typhoon approaching, but the wind is also strong.
  

• 今日は寒さむい上に風かぜが強つよい。
• Kyou wa samui ue ni kaze ga tsuyoi.
• Today is not only cold but also windy.
  

Deep Dive

Complex Usage

～上に can be used in more complex sentences to express nuanced emotions or contexts. For example:

• 父ちちは腰こしに持病じびょうがある上に、糖尿病とうにょうびょうまで患わずらっている。
• Chichi wa koshi ni jibyou ga aru ue ni, tounyoubyou made wazuratte iru.
• My father not only has a chronic back problem but also suffers from diabetes.
  

• 彼かれは留学りゅうがく経験けいけんがあって英語えいごもペラペラな上に有名ゆうめい大学だいがくまで卒業そつぎょうしている。
• Kare wa ryuugaku keiken ga atte eigo mo perapera na ue ni yuumei daigaku made sotsugyou shite iru.
• He not only has study abroad experience and speaks fluent English but also graduated from a prestigious university.
  

Usage Notes

• Extreme Situations: The information added after ～上に is often more extreme or significant than the first. For example:
• この病やまいは治なおる可能性かのうせいは低ひくい上に治療費ちりょうひも高額こうがくだ。
• Kono yamai wa naoru kanousei wa hikui ue ni chiryouhi mo kougaku da.
• Not only is the chance of curing this disease low, but the treatment cost is also high.
  
• Coherence: The two situations often have a coherent or progressive relationship. For example:
• 少子化しょうしかな上に引ひきこもりなどで労働力ろうどうりょくにならない若手わかてが増ふえたら、一体いったい誰だれが社会しゃかいを支ささえるのでしょう。
• Shoushika na ue ni hikikomori nado de roudouryoku ni naranai wakate ga fuetara, ittai dare ga shakai o sasaeru no deshou.
• If the declining birthrate is compounded by an increase in young people who don't work due to social withdrawal, who will support society?
  

Comparison and Differences

Difference Between 「～上に」 and 「～上で」

Although ～上に and ～上で may seem similar, their usage and meanings are different:

Grammar	Usage Explanation	Example
～上に	Used to add another situation or condition on top of an existing one. Emphasizes the layering of situations.	彼かれは優やさしい上に、頭あたまも良よい。 He is not only kind but also smart.
～上で	Used to indicate an action taken based on a result or foundation. Emphasizes action based on a result.	両親りょうしんと相談そうだんした上で、決きめました。 After consulting with my parents, I made a decision.

Real-Life Scenarios

In everyday life, ～上に is often used to describe complex situations, such as:

• 学校がっこうは遠とおい上に、バスばすも遅おくれる。
• Gakkou wa tooi ue ni basu mo okureru.
• Not only is the school far, but the bus is also often late.
  

• 仕事しごとが忙いそがしい上に、家庭かていの問題もんだいもある。
• Shigoto ga isogashii ue ni katei no mondai mo aru.
• Not only is work busy, but there are also family issues.
  

Summary

～上に is a grammatical structure used to add another situation or condition on top of an existing one. It can be used after verbs, adjectives, and nouns to indicate the layering of situations, often expressing more extreme conditions. Understanding and mastering the use of ～上に can make your Japanese expressions richer and more precise.