持ち上げる
もちあげる · mochiageru · JLPT N3 · verb-ichidan
to lift up
🏋️ 持ち上げる = mochi (hold) + ageru (raise): hold it and raise it
持つ (motsu) means to hold and 上げる (ageru) means to raise, so together they mean to lift up. The flatter sense works like the English phrase talk someone up: you lift a person with praise.
持 — hand 扌 + temple 寺 (phonetic)
持 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning 'to hold' or 'grasp', while 寺 supplies the sound (it once read close to chí). Originally depicting a hand holding something firmly, it broadened to mean 'maintain', 'support', or 'keep' over time.
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.