(じょうじゅん)

じょうじゅん
noun
first third of the month (days 1-10)
1. first ten days of the month, early part of the month
The period from the 1st to the 10th of a month. Part of the traditional Japanese system of dividing each month into three roughly equal periods.
四月(しがつ)上旬(じょうじゅん)(さくら)()く。
The cherry blossoms bloom in early April.
商品(しょうひん)来月(らいげつ)上旬(じょうじゅん)(とど)予定(よてい)です。
The product is expected to arrive in the first part of next month.
十一月(じゅういちがつ)上旬(じょうじゅん)から中旬(ちゅうじゅん)にかけて紅葉(こうよう)見頃(みごろ)(むか)える。
The autumn leaves reach their peak from early to mid-November.

USAGE:

Japanese divides each month into three periods:

  • 上旬(じょうじゅん): days 1-10 (early)
  • 中旬(ちゅうじゅん): days 11-20 (middle)
  • 下旬(げじゅん): days 21-end (late)

This system is commonly used in business, weather forecasts, shipping estimates, and seasonal descriptions. More precise than saying (はじ)め (beginning) and very common in everyday Japanese.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (がつ)上旬(じょうじゅん): early [month]
  • 上旬(じょうじゅん)から中旬(ちゅうじゅん)にかけて: from early to mid-month
  • 上旬(じょうじゅん)ごろ: around the beginning of the month