上

• Pinyin: shàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 上 = ideograph of a mark above a base line, indicating upward or above

Meaning

Up; above; to go up; previous. Used as a direction word, a verb for going to or getting on, and to indicate the previous instance of something.

One of the most versatile characters in Chinese. As a location word, it means above or on top of (桌子上). As a verb, it means to go up, to attend (上课 attend class), or to get on (上车 board a vehicle). It also marks the previous occurrence: 上个月 (last month), 上次 (last time). Appears in countless common compounds.

Examples

1. 请上车，我们要走了。 Please get on the bus, we're leaving.
2. 书在桌子上。 The book is on the table.
3. 上个星期我去了北京。 Last week I went to Beijing.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, directions, time

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们上楼吧。(Let's go upstairs.)
• 上个月我很忙。(I was very busy last month.)

Don't Say

• 说'我上去学校'来表示去学校。(Don't say 我上去学校 — say 我去学校 or 我上学 to mean going to school)

Origin & History

An ideographic character showing a short stroke above a horizontal line, indicating the concept of above or upward.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal