1.
the curtain rises (at a theater)
Literal use: the stage curtain goes up at the start of a play, concert, or similar performance.
2.
to begin; to get underway; to open (of a major event or era)
Figurative use: a significant event, era, or contest begins — a tournament, a new political era, a project, a campaign. Carries a ceremonial or dramatic tone, framing the beginning as a public unfolding.
Literally 'the curtain goes up', referring to the rising of a stage curtain at the start of a performance. Widely used figuratively for the dramatic opening of any large event, contest, or era.
Usage
- The figurative use is much more common in writing and news than the literal theatrical use.
- Often takes a noun marked by の as its subject: 大会の幕が上がる, 新しい時代の幕が上がる.
- Frequently appears with いよいよ ('at last'), ついに ('finally'), or ようやく for dramatic effect.
- The opposite is 幕が下りる ('the curtain falls') or 幕を閉じる ('to close; to come to an end'), used for conclusions.
Common collocations
- 大会の幕が上がる: the tournament gets underway
- 新しい時代の幕が上がる: a new era begins
- いよいよ幕が上がる: the curtain is about to rise at last
- 選挙戦の幕が上がる: the election campaign gets underway
Similar words
- 幕が下りる: the curtain falls — the direct opposite, used when something ends.
- 幕を開ける: to open the curtain; to begin an event — transitive counterpart; used when someone officially opens an event.
- 開幕する: to open; to start (of a season or event) — a more compact noun-verb with similar meaning; very common in sports reporting.
- 始まる: to begin — the plain, everyday verb without the dramatic framing.