上楼

• Pinyin: shàng lóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 上 = a mark above a baseline — to go up; 楼 = 木 (wood) + 娄 (phonetic) — a multi-storey building

Meaning

To go upstairs; to go up to a higher floor.

A verb-object phrase combining 上 (to go up) and 楼 (building/floor). Used for going upstairs in any building — homes, offices, malls. The opposite is 下楼 (to go downstairs).

Examples

1. 你先上楼去，我等一会儿就来。 You go upstairs first — I'll be there in a moment.
2. 电梯坏了，我们只能走楼梯上楼。 The lift is broken, so we can only take the stairs to go up.
3. 他拿着行李慢慢地上楼了。 He slowly went upstairs carrying his luggage.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home, buildings

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 快上楼吧，饭已经做好了。(Come upstairs quickly — dinner is ready.)
• 我先上楼换件衣服。(I'll go upstairs first to change my clothes.)

Don't Say

• 上楼去山上 meaning to go up a mountain (上楼 specifically means going upstairs in a building — for a mountain, say 上山)

Origin & History

Verb-object compound of 上 (to ascend) and 楼 (multi-storey building) — to go up in a building.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal