上達
じょうたつ · joutatsu · JLPT N3 · noun
improvement
📈 上達 = up + reach: your skill reaches a higher level
上 (jou) means up or above, and 達 (tatsu) means to reach or attain, as in 達する. Together: reaching upward, i.e. getting better at a skill. Used for progress in languages, sports, music: 日本語が上達した = my Japanese improved.
上 — horizontal line above a baseline
上 is an indicative character (指事): a short stroke placed above a longer reference line shows the concept of 'above' or 'up'. The earliest oracle-bone forms used two horizontal lines for this; the modern shape added a vertical stroke for clarity. The core meaning of 'upper, above, to ascend' has stayed stable for millennia.