When attached to the stem of another verb, (intransitive) and (transitive) express the idea of completion – that an action has been carried through to the end, or that something has been finished entirely.
V[stem] + 上がる (intransitive – something finishes / is completed)
attaches to verb stems to indicate that a process has **reached completion on its own** or that something **is done**. The focus is on the resulting finished state.
。
The cake finished baking.
。
The work turned out splendidly.
。
Please wait until the rice finishes cooking.
Since is intransitive, the subject (the thing being completed) is typically marked with が.
V[stem] + 上げる (transitive – to finish doing something completely)
attaches to verb stems to express that someone has **deliberately completed** an action or **done something through to the end**. It often carries a nuance of effort or accomplishment.
。
I finally finished writing my thesis.
。
He built the company all by himself.
。
I have to finish the report in three days.
Because is transitive, the object is marked with を.
Common compound verbs
Here are the common compounds with this pattern:
- – to finish writing
- – to finish creating / to build up completely
- / – to finish / to be finished
- / – to finish baking
- – to finish cooking (rice)
- – to be completed / ready
- – to finish knitting
- – to finish painting
Nuance
Compared to simply saying the action is done (e.g. ), using ～上げる / ～上がる emphasizes the thoroughness or completeness of the action. It often implies that the task required sustained effort or that the result is a finished product.
Lingaku