上様

Etymology

上 (ue, jō, kami, “above; noble wife”) +‎ 様 (-sama, formal honorific suffix)

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) う​えさま [úꜜèsàmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • (Tokyo) うえ​さま [ùéꜜsàmà] (Nakadaka – [2])
  • IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝe̞sa̠ma̠]

• Jūbakoyomi
  • (Tokyo) じょ​ーさま [jóꜜòsàmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [d͡ʑo̞ːsa̠ma̠]

Pronoun

上様 (hiragana うえさま, rōmaji Ue-sama, historical hiragana うへさま) (alternative reading hiragana じょうさま, romaji Jō-sama, historical hiragana じやうさま)

1. Your Majesty; His Majesty (addressing the Emperor of Japan)
2. (historical) Your Highness; His Highness (addressing a shogun)
   • 2006 November 7, Sorachi, Hideaki, “第だい百二十八訓くん　運うんに身み分ぶんは関かん係けいない [Lesson 128: Luck Has Nothing to Do with Social Status]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 15 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:

     …銀 (ぎん)サン　今 (いま)…上 (うえ)様 (さま)ってきこえませんでした

     …Gin-san ima…Ue-samatte kikoemasen deshita

     …Gin-san, just now… I think I heard him say Ue-sama

     きこえたな…いや　でもまさか　ねェ　今 (いま)　上 (うえ)様 (さま)って…

     Kikoeta na…Iya demo masaka Nē ima Ue-samatte…

     I heard it too… But it can’t be. Hey, did he just say Ue-sama…

     んなわけないでしょ　どうして　天 (てん)下 (か)の将 (しょう)軍 (ぐん)様 (さま)が　こんなキャバクラに来 (く)るの　さぁ　どうぞ上 (うえ)様 (さま)こちらですぅ

     Nna wakenai desho Dōshite tenka no shōgun-sama ga konna kyabakura ni kuruno Sā dōzo Ue-sama kochira desū

     No way. Why would the shōgun ever come to this cabaret? Ue-sama, please come this way

     いや　今 (いま)　お前 (まえ)も上 (うえ)様 (さま)って言 (い)ったろ

     Iya ima omae mo Ue-samatte ittaro

     But you just said Ue-sama, too

     上 (うえ)様 (さま)なんてよくある名 (な)前 (まえ)アル　領 (りょう)収 (しゅう)書 (しょ)なんてほとんど上 (うえ)様 (さま)ネ

     Ue-sama nante yoku aru namae aru Ryōshūsho nante hotondo Ue-sama ne

     Ue-sama is a common name, eh? Most receipts are addressed to Ue-sama

     いや　でも

     Iya demo

     Yeah, but

     上 (うえ)杉 (すぎ)さんとかきき間 (ま)違 (ちが)えたのではないか

     Uesugi-san toka kiki machigaeta no de wa nai ka

     Maybe you misheard it for Uesugi-san or something?

3. sir; ma'am (addressing the customer on a receipt when a specific name is not required)
   • 2005 December 7, Sorachi, Hideaki, “第だい八十一訓くん　扇せん風ぷう機きつけっぱなしで寝ねちゃうとお腹おかこわしちゃうから気きを付つけて [Lesson 81: Be Careful When Sleeping with the Fan on or You’ll Get a Stomachache]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 15 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:

     名 (な)ぐらい聞 (き)かせておくれよ

     Na gurai kikasete okure yo

     May I ask your name?

     なんだ　領 (りょう)収 (しゅう)書 (しょ)か？上 (うえ)様 (さま)でいいよ？

     Nan da Ryōshūsho ka? Ue-sama de ii yo?

     For what? A receipt? Is Ue-sama cool?

     上 (うえ)様 (さま)…立 (りっ)派 (ぱ)な名 (な)前 (まえ)じゃないかィ　じゃあ　あばよ　上 (うえ)様 (さま)‼

     Ue-sama… rippa na namae ja nai ki Jā aba yo Ue-sama‼

     Ue-sama… What a name of class. See you never then, Ue-sama‼

   • 2005 December 7, Sorachi, Hideaki, “第だい八十一訓くん　扇せん風ぷう機きつけっぱなしで寝ねちゃうとお腹おかこわしちゃうから気きを付つけて [Lesson 81: Be Careful When Sleeping with the Fan on or You’ll Get a Stomachache]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 15 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:

     地球防衛軍より
     上様へ

     Chikyū Bōeigun yori
     Ue-sama e

     From the Earth Defense Force
     To Ue-sama

(alternative reading hiragana かみさま, romaji kami-sama)

1. (historical) milady (addressing a noble or samurai's wife)