Understanding ~以上 (~ijou): A Streetwise JLPT N4 Grammar Guide

car bodies


やつ

くるま
には、
なな
にん以上
いじょう
死体
したい

まれていた。
There were seven or more corpses piled in his car.

Category: ,

Lemme drop some real knowledge on ya about this word 「以上」 (ijou). It ain’t just some regular word; it’s got that street smarts kinda feel to it. Think of it like this: when you say 「以上」, you ain’t just sayin’ “more than.” Nah, you’re layin’ down the law. You’re sayin’ “more than, and this number is the bottom line, the minimum, the whole enchilada.” It’s like when the boss says, “I need more than 50 grand from this score, or someone’s gettin’ iced.” That 50 grand is part of the deal, ya dig? It’s that number and everything higher. It’s the ultimate cutoff, the point of no return.


Here’s the lowdown on how to use this jawn. Peep this chart for the game plan.

English TranslationExample SentenceTranslation
Noun + 以上警察
けいさつ以上
いじょう

ちから
Power equal to or greater than the police
Number + 以上100
にん以上
100 people or more
This + 以上これ以上
いじょう
無理
むり
Anything more than this is impossible

It’s all about attaching 「以上」 (ijou) to a number or a thing. It’s so simple even a rook could figure it out. Just slap it right after the number, the noun, or the phrase, and boom—you’ve just set a new standard, a new minimum. It’s the ultimate “don’t even think about goin’ below this” kinda move. You can use it with numbers like “100” (hyaku) or things like “this” (kore). It’s mad versatile.


Peep the new vocab that’s about to be in your arsenal.

密造酒 (みつぞうしゅ)

English: Bootleg liquor; moonshine.

This ain’t that fancy bottle you grab from the store. This is the real deal, the stuff brewed in some secret spot, way off the books. Think ’bout that hooch them fellas was runnin’ back during Prohibition, duckin’ the law to get their drink on. It’s the good-good, the forbidden juice that keeps the party live when the man says no.


歯向かう (はむかう)

English: To defy; to resist.

This is when you stand tall and push back. You ain’t bowin’ down, you ain’t takin’ no mess from nobody. When the opps try to press you, you gotta tooth-and-nail it, you gotta hit ’em with that defiance. It’s that raw energy when a young cat tells the big boss, “Nah, I ain’t doin’ that.” It’s all about keepin’ your dignity, your honor, and your street cred.


賭博場 (とばくじょう)

English: Gambling den; casino.

Man, this is where the action is. It ain’t no glitzy Las Vegas spot with bright lights and fancy machines. This is a gritty, smoky room in a backstreet joint. Money changes hands, fates are sealed, and fortunes are won and lost on the roll of the dice or the turn of a card. It’s the high-stakes world where real hustlers put their paper on the line.


殺しの依頼 (ころしのいらい)

English: Contract killing; murder for hire.

This is the ultimate transaction, the darkest of deeds. Somebody’s got a problem they can’t handle, so they put out the word and offer a stack of paper for someone to solve it permanently. This ain’t no amateur hour—this is the professional stuff, the kind of job you gotta be a cold-blooded ghost to pull off. It’s a business deal where the final signature is a body on the ground.


構成員 (こうせいいん)

English: Gang member; constituent member.

This is what you call a soldier in the ranks, a part of the crew. You ain’t just some random dude—you’re a sworn-in member of the family, a certified rider. You got a specific role, you gotta follow the code, and you’re bound by loyalty to your people. It’s about being one of many, all movin’ with the same purpose, whether it’s slingin’ rock or holdin’ down the block.


Yo, check the heat I’m about to drop on ya. Study these sentences so you can spit game like a real OG.

ここの密造酒
みつぞうしゅ
は、
いっ
びん

まん
えん以上
いじょう
する。
The moonshine here costs 20,000 yen or more per bottle.


おれ

いのち

ねら
った人間
にんげん
は、全員
ぜんいん
さん
にん以上
いじょう
部下
ぶか

れていた。
The guys who tried to kill me all had three or more subordinates with them.


おれ
歯向
はむ
かった
やつ
全員
ぜんいん

はち

かしょ以上
いじょう
ほね

られたらしい。
Apparently, everyone who went against me had eight or more of their bones broken.


くみ
売上
うりあげ
去年
きょねん
から
さん
わり以上
いじょう
がった。
Our gang’s sales have gone up by 30% or more since last year.

この取引
とりひき
は、

おく
えん以上
いじょう
価値
かち
があると
おも
っている。
I figure this deal is worth five hundred million yen or more.

うちの
くみ
は、構成員
こうせいいん


ひゃく
にん以上
いじょう
いる
おお
きなファミリーだ。
Our gang is a big family with 500 or more members.


ころ
しの依頼
いらい


けん以上
いじょう
たから、週末
しゅうまつ

いそが
しい。
I got five or more assassination requests, so the weekend’s gonna be busy.

賭博場
とばくじょう
にいる
やつ
全員
ぜんいん
借金
しゃっきん

せん
まん
えん以上
いじょう
だ。
Everyone at the gambling den has a debt of ten million yen or more.

この抗争
こうそう
で、
おれ
舎弟
しゃてい

じゅう
にん以上
いじょう
やられた。
In this turf war, ten or more of my young guns got taken out.

拳銃
けんじゅう
密輸
みつゆ
には、
さん
にん以上
いじょう
のチームが必要
ひつよう
だ。
Smuggling pistols requires a team of three or more people.


Yo, that’s the whole lesson, fam. Now get out there and use this knowledge wisely. Don’t be a scrub.

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