Meaning of 上面
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- on top of
- above-mentioned
- also pr. [shang4 mian5]
How to use 上面
上面 is a place word meaning on top of or above, and it often follows a noun, as in 桌子上面 (zhuōzi shàngmiàn), on the table. It can also mean "above-mentioned" when referring to something said earlier. Example: 书在桌子上面。(Shū zài zhuōzi shàngmiàn.) The book is on the table.
上 (shàng) means up or above, and 面 (miàn) means face or side. Put them together and you get the "up side" of something, the top surface or the area above it.
Common mistake: Learners often put 上面 before the noun the way English puts "on" first, saying 上面桌子 instead of the correct 桌子上面. Also note that in everyday speech 面 is often said in the neutral tone, shàngmian.
上面 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
上 shàng · up · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
面 miàn · face · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 上面.
| 马上 | mǎshàng | at once; right away |
| 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening; night |
| 身上 | shēnshang | on the body; at hand |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | early morning |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet; to see each other |
| 上次 | shàng cì | last time |
| 路上 | lùshang | on the road; on the way; en route |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to go to work; to be on duty |
| 上车 | shàng chē | to get on or into (a bus, train, car etc) |
| 地上 | dìshang | on the ground; on the floor |
| 楼上 | lóu shàng | upstairs; (Internet slang) previous poster in a forum thread |
| 车上 | chē shang |
Questions about 上面
What does 上面 mean?
上面 (shàngmiàn) means "on top of; above-mentioned" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 上面?
上面 is made of 2 characters: 上 (3 strokes), 面 (9 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 上面 an HSK word?
Yes. 上面 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 上面 and just 上 after a noun?
Both can mean on top of, as in 桌子上 and 桌子上面. The single 上 is shorter and very common in speech, while 上面 sounds a bit fuller and can also stand alone, as in 上面有什么? (Shàngmiàn yǒu shénme?) What is on top?
How do I say "below" or "underneath" to match 上面?
The opposite is 下面 (xiàmiàn), meaning below or underneath. For example, 椅子下面 (yǐzi xiàmiàn) means under the chair.