Meaning of 表面上
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outwardly; superficially; on the face of it
How to use 表面上
表面上 usually sets up a contrast: it describes how something looks, then a second clause with 其实 (qíshí) or 但是 (dànshì) reveals the real situation. Example: 他表面上很平静，其实很紧张。(Tā biǎomiàn shang hěn píngjìng, qíshí hěn jǐnzhāng.) He looks calm on the outside, but he is actually very nervous.
表 (biǎo) is the outside, 面 (miàn) is the face or surface, and 上 (shang) means on. Put together, 表面上 is what is on the outer face of things, not what is underneath.
Common mistake: Learners often say 表面 when they mean the adverb-like 表面上. 表面 alone is a noun for a physical surface, as in 桌子的表面 (the table's surface), while 表面上 means outwardly or on the face of it. Also note that 上 here is usually read in the neutral tone, shang, not shàng.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
表 biǎo · exterior surface · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
面 miàn · face · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
上 shàng · up · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 表面上.
| 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 |
| 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 表面上
What does 表面上 mean?
表面上 (biǎomiàn shang) means "outwardly; superficially; on the face of it".
How do you write 表面上?
表面上 is made of 3 characters: 表 (8 strokes), 面 (9 strokes), 上 (3 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 表面上 an HSK word?
Yes. 表面上 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 表面上 and 看起来?
看起来 (kàn qǐlái) simply means it looks like, with no judgment. 表面上 strongly hints that the appearance is misleading and that the truth is different.
Where does 表面上 go in a sentence?
It usually comes after the subject and before the verb or adjective, as in 他表面上同意了 (he agreed on the surface). It can also start the sentence: 表面上，一切都很好 (On the face of it, everything is fine).