To Lift Something
To Raise Something, To Increase Something
transitive verb, ichidan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means above and this verb is related to that meaning. It means to lift something or to raise something. It's a transitive verb, meaning that you do something to something else. You raise something. Like your hands!
あげる
Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you know that it's probably going to use the kun'yomi reading, which you didn't learn with the kanji. Here's a mnemonic to help you:
You want to lift something, and that something is aardvark (あ) above your head. Why? Because even though aardvarks have long tongues, they can't reach the ants in the trees. But when you raise this aardvark it can get at those yummy ants!
このはこをれいぞうこの上に上げてください。
Please put this box on top of the refrigerator for me.
三センチ上げてください。
Please lift it three centimeters.
りょうてを上に上げて、大きくおならをした。
I raised my hands and let out a huge fart.