値上げ（ねあげ、neage）
- price increase

The Japanese word 値上げ（ねあげ, neage） means "price increase," "raising prices," or "hike" of prices. It refers to the act of increasing the cost of goods, services, or products. The word implies a deliberate action by a seller or provider to charge more than before.

⚫︎ ガソリンの値上げ ・Translation: Gasoline price increase ⚫︎ 来月から、商品の値上げをします。 ・Translation: From next month, we will raise the prices of our products. ⚫︎ 電気代の値上げに不満がある。 ・Translation: I am dissatisfied with the increase in electricity prices.

You use 値上げ when discussing or reporting an increase in prices. It can be used in various contexts, such as in business, news reports, or personal conversations. It is important to remember that it is a noun that describes the act of increasing the price, not the price itself. You can also use the verb form 値上げする （ねあげする, neage suru） which means "to raise prices."

値上げ is typically written in kanji and hiragana. ・ Kanji: 値 (price, value) + 上 (up, above) ・ Hiragana: ねあげ There are no variations in the okurigana for this word.

There are some words that can express "price increase", such as: ・ 価格上昇 (かかくじょうしょう, kakaku jōshō) – Price increase (more formal) ・ 価格引き上げ (かかくひきあげ, kakaku hikiage) – Price increase (literally "price pulling up")

The antonym of 値上げ is 値下げ (ねさげ, nesage), which means "price reduction," "price cut," or "discount."

原油価格の高騰により、ガソリン価格の値上げが予想されます。 ・Translation: Due to the rise in crude oil prices, a gasoline price increase is expected. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that rising crude oil prices will cause an increase in gasoline prices.

人件費の増加のため、商品の値上げを検討しています。 ・Translation: We are considering raising the prices of our products due to increased labor costs. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the reason for considering a price increase is rising labor costs.

The word 値上げ is formed from two kanji: 値 (ね, ne) meaning "price" or "value," and 上げ (あげ, age) which is the continuative stem of the verb 上げる (あげる, ageru), meaning "to raise" or "to lift." The combination of these characters creates the meaning of "raising the price."