What does "手の上" mean and why can't I find it?

Japanese Language Questions
1

I came across this sentence in Bleach: 今までの俺の戦いがてめえの手の上!?

I’ve checked multiple online dictionaries and even a Japanese slang dictionary but none of them had a definition. The English version of Bleach translates the sentence as “Up to this point all my battles where according to your plan!?” So 手の上 means according to plan?

Both 手 and 上 have A LOT of different definitions so there are a lot of possibilities.

1 Like
2

above/on top of (my) hand: てのうえ

1 Like
3

Can you provide a chapter and page number? I’d be curious to see the sentence in context.

1 Like
5

Here is a use of it which seems obvious:

But, I guess context could completely change the meaning.

2 Likes
6

Also are you sure you transcribed the sentence correctly?

I searched for the sentence as you typed it and ended up on a Japanese web page about Bleach chapter 573 that has this sentence quote:

「…今までの………俺の戦いが…てめえの…掌の上………！？何だよそれ…どういうことだよ…」

The sentences seem too similar to be a coincidence.

2 Likes
7

Ah, didn’t see the part about the English translation (and the !?).

Yeah, it makes sense.

Ah, てのひら rather than て

2 Likes
8

So then てまえの掌の上 is just literally “in the palm of your hand”, right? I guess it’s just a loose translation…

1 Like
9

掌の上で踊らせる is an expression that exists… Make someone dance in the palm of your hand. Basically manipulate someone.

9 Likes
10

So I finally actually found the page. I don’t know why the first website I went to said Bleach 573, but it’s chapter 397. Here’s what appears to be the page in question:

image

Although not sure at this point that it really adds anything beyond what we talked about.

2 Likes
11

It does explain one thing. Since the reading for 掌 as displayed on the page is て, and the words that came out of his mouth were てのうえ, then 手の上 would also work as a correct transliteration. It’s probably just a more slangy way of saying the proper expression.

12

I’m not sure of official the subs are that I have (they’re from kitsunekko.net) and they use 手, I didn’t know about 掌.

Screenshot_2019-11-16%20Screenshot

@Leebo Ah, that makes sense!

Thanks everyone!

13

I don’t know that there are official subs. I have the Japanese DVDs and they have no subtitles. Those look like someone transcribing what they heard which makes sense to see the 手 since the manga marks て as the reading for 掌. Someone probably didn’t cross-reference their transcription to the manga since that’s a non-filler episode.

1 Like
14

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.