上 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) up; upper; above; previous; first (of multiple parts); to climb; to get onto; to go up
How to write 上, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 上
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) up; upper; above; previous
- first (of multiple parts)
- to climb; to get onto; to go up
- to attend (class or university)
- (directional complement) up
- (noun suffix) on; above
- used in 上聲|上声[shang3 sheng1]
How 上 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. One stroke on top of another; compare 下 (below).
Radical: 一 (one), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 上
上 (shàng) is built from a base line 一 with a mark ⺊ sitting on top of it, so it points to what is above. Compare 下 (xià), where the mark hangs below the line.
上 is used for being on top of something, for going up or getting on, and for attending work or school, as in 上班 (shàngbān) and 上车 (shàng chē). It also means previous, as in 上次 (shàng cì) last time. Example: 书在桌子上。(Shū zài zhuōzi shang.) The book is on the table.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 上 and 下 because they mirror each other. Remember that the short stroke in 上 points up from the base line. Also note that in words like 晚上 (wǎnshang) and 早上 (zǎoshang), 上 is said in the neutral tone, not fourth tone.
Common words with 上
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 马上 | mǎshàng | at once; right away | HSK 1 |
| 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening; night | HSK 1 |
| 身上 | shēnshang | on the body; at hand | HSK 1 |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | early morning | HSK 1 |
| 上次 | shàng cì | last time | HSK 1 |
| 路上 | lùshang | on the road; on the way; en route | HSK 1 |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to go to work; to be on duty | HSK 1 |
| 上车 | shàng chē | to get on or into (a bus, train, car etc) | HSK 1 |
| 地上 | dìshang | on the ground; on the floor | HSK 1 |
| 楼上 | lóu shàng | upstairs; (Internet slang) previous poster in a forum thread | HSK 1 |
| 车上 | chē shang | HSK 1 | |
| 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school; to attend school | HSK 1 |
| 上课 | shàngkè | to go to class; to attend class | HSK 1 |
| 关上 | guānshang | to close (a door); to turn off (light, electrical equipment etc) | HSK 1 |
上 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 上
Learning 上 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 上
How many strokes are in 上?
上 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 上 mean?
上 (shàng) means (bound form) up; upper; above; previous; first (of multiple parts); to climb; to get onto; to go up. A common word with it is 马上 (mǎshàng), meaning "at once; right away".
How do you pronounce 上?
上 is pronounced shàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 上?
The radical of 上 is 一, which carries the idea of "one". Dictionaries list 上 under this radical.
Is 上 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 上 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 上 mean last or previous, as in 上个月?
Chinese often treats earlier time as being above, so 上个月 (shàng ge yuè) is last month and 下个月 (xià ge yuè) is next month. The same pattern appears in 上次 (last time) and 下次 (next time).
Is 上 ever pronounced shǎng?
Yes, but only in 上声 (shǎngshēng), the traditional name for the third tone. In everyday words it is shàng, or neutral tone when it follows a noun, like 路上 (lùshang).