上 shàng — on, on top of, above

Meanings

1. 1

   on, on top of, above

   A position word, and Chinese puts it after the noun, not before: 桌子上 "on the table", 椅子上 "on the chair". Nothing corresponds to the English preposition coming first.

   noun
2. 2

   last, previous (of a time period)

   noun

   Before a time word, 上 means the one before: 上个月 last month, 上个星期 last week. 下 does the opposite.

3. 3

   to go up; to get on (a vehicle)

   verb

Character breakdown

• 上

  shàng (fourth tone, falling)

  above, upper, on top of; to go up, to get on, to attend; last, previous (上个月)

  3 strokesRadical 一

Example sentences

• 书在桌子上。/書在桌子上。Shū (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) zhuōzi (first tone, high and level) shàng. (fourth tone, falling)···

  The book is on the table.

• 我上个星期没有去学校。/我上個星期沒有去學校。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shàng (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xīngqī (first tone, high and level) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) xuéxiào. (second tone, rising)···

  I didn’t go to school last week.

Common mistakes

• Not quite在上桌子

  Correct在桌子上

  Chinese position words follow the noun. Putting 上 in front copies English word order and produces something no one says.

Similar words

Words containing 上

• 身上shēn (first tone, high and level) shang (neutral tone)on the body
• 晚上wǎnshang (third tone, dipping)evening, night
• 早上zǎoshang (third tone, dipping)early morning
• 马上/馬上mǎshàng (third tone, dipping)at once, right away, immediately
• 实际上/實際上shí (second tone, rising) jì (fourth tone, falling) shàng (fourth tone, falling)in fact
• 上面shàng (fourth tone, falling) miàn (fourth tone, falling)on top of
• 事实上/事實上shì (fourth tone, falling) shí (second tone, rising) shàng (fourth tone, falling)in fact
• 路上lù (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone)on the road
• 加上jiā (first tone, high and level) shàng (fourth tone, falling)plus
• 上午shàngwǔ (fourth tone, falling)morning (before noon)
• 上班shàngbān (fourth tone, falling)to go to work, to be at work
• 车上/車上chē (first tone, high and level) shàng (fourth tone, falling)Car
• 以上yǐ (third tone, dipping) shàng (fourth tone, falling)that level or higher
• 上去shàng (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling)to go up
• 地上dì (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone)on the ground
• 上网/上網shàngwǎng (fourth tone, falling)to go online, to use the internet
• 上周shàng (fourth tone, falling) zhōu (first tone, high and level)last week