HSK Guide

上 shàng — on, on top of, above

shàng (fourth tone, falling)shang4

on, on top of, above

HSK 1· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 1· Three-band, nine-level standardnounverb
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Meanings

  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. 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. 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