Meaning of 台上
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- on stage
How to use 台上
台上 is used for a stage, podium, or platform where people perform, speak, or are watched by others. It often pairs with 台下 (táixià), the audience area below. Example: 她在台上唱歌。(Tā zài táishàng chàng gē.) She is singing on stage.
台 (tái) means a stage or raised platform, and 上 (shàng) means on or above. Put them together and you get the place where performers stand: on the stage, 台上 (táishàng).
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 台上 alone when they mean "at the counter" or "on the table". For a table, use 桌子上 (zhuōzi shang). 台上 suggests a raised stage or platform. Also keep the full fourth tone on 上 here, since it is not neutral like in 晚上 (wǎnshang).
台上 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.
台 tái · you · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
上 shàng · up · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 台上.
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school; to attend school |
Questions about 台上
What does 台上 mean?
台上 (táishàng) means "on stage" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 台上?
台上 is made of 2 characters: 台 (5 strokes), 上 (3 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 台上 an HSK word?
Yes. 台上 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 台上 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 台上 is written 臺上.
What is the difference between 台上 and 舞台上?
舞台上 (wǔtái shang) specifically means on a theater or performance stage. 台上 is shorter and broader. It can also mean a speaker's podium or any raised platform.
Does 台上 have a figurative meaning?
Yes. It can describe someone who is in power or in the public eye, as in 他在台上 (tā zài táishàng), "he is in office". The opposite idea is 下台 (xiàtái), to step down.