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.
四月上旬に桜が咲く。
The cherry blossoms bloom in early April.
商品は来月上旬に届く予定です。
The product is expected to arrive in the first part of next month.
十一月上旬から中旬にかけて紅葉が見頃を迎える。
The autumn leaves reach their peak from early to mid-November.
USAGE:
Japanese divides each month into three periods:
- 上旬: days 1-10 (early)
- 中旬: days 11-20 (middle)
- 下旬: days 21-end (late)
This system is commonly used in business, weather forecasts, shipping estimates, and seasonal descriptions. More precise than saying 初め (beginning) and very common in everyday Japanese.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ~月上旬: early [month]
- 上旬から中旬にかけて: from early to mid-month
- 上旬ごろ: around the beginning of the month