upon
word
/əˈpɑn/
uh-PAHN
/əpˈɒn/
uh-PON
Definition
A formal or literary preposition meaning 'on', 'on top of', or 'immediately after'. Often used in written or formal English instead of 'on' or 'after'.
Usage & Nuances
Mainly used in formal, literary, or old-fashioned contexts; rarely in everyday speech. Common phrases: 'once upon a time', 'upon arrival', 'upon request'. Often interchangeable with 'on' or 'after', but 'upon' sounds more formal or emphatic.
Spanish: sobre - en cuanto aPortuguese (BR): sobre - assim quePortuguese (PT): sobre - assim queChinese (Simplified): 在...之上 - 一...就...Chinese (Traditional): 在...之上 - 一...就...Hindi: पर - के तुरंत बादArabic: على - فور (حدوث شيء)Bengali: উপর - পরে (সাহিত্যিক অর্থে)Russian: на - по (в литературном стиле) - после (формально)Japanese: 〜の上に - 〜するとすぐに（文語的）Vietnamese: trên - ngay khi (trang trọng, văn học)Korean: 위에 - 직후에 (격식체, 문예체)Turkish: üzerine - ardından (edebi ya da resmi kullanım)Urdu: پر (ادبی یا رسمی استعمال) - کے بعدIndonesian: di atas - segera setelah (baku/literer)
Example Sentences
Place the book upon the table.
basic
Upon arrival, please check in at the front desk.
natural
Once upon a time, there was a big castle on a hill.
natural
She smiled upon hearing the news.
basic
The cat jumped upon the chair.
basic
He got a reward upon completing the project.
natural