上周

• Pinyin: shàng zhōu
• Hanzi breakdown: 上 = a line above a base line, indicating 'above' or 'previous'; 周 = originally meaning circumference/cycle, now also means week

Meaning

Last week. Refers to the week before the current one.

A common time expression used in everyday conversation. Interchangeable with 上个星期 and 上星期, though 上周 is slightly more concise. Used to talk about recent past events. The pattern 上 + time unit is productive: 上个月 (last month), 上次 (last time).

Examples

1. 上周我去了北京。 I went to Beijing last week.
2. 上周的天气比这周好。 Last week's weather was better than this week's.
3. 你上周买的书看完了吗？ Have you finished reading the book you bought last week?

Usage Guide

Context: time reference, everyday conversation, recounting events

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 上周我们考了数学。(We had a math exam last week.)
• 他上周刚回来。(He just came back last week.)

Don't Say

• 不要把上周和上个周末混淆 (Don't confuse 上周 with 上个周末 — 上周 means the entire last week; 上个周末 means only last weekend)

Origin & History

上 (shàng, previous/upper) + 周 (zhōu, week). 上 indicates the preceding one in a time sequence, and 周 means week.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal