上

shàng

Pinyin
shàng
Pinyin (Plain)
shang
Tone
4
Strokes
3
Radical
一
Readings
shàngshangTone: 4used in 上聲|上声[shang3 sheng1]Order: 0Primary
Stroke Order Code
Speed
Stroke Order Data
["M 520 133 Q 523 296 525 442 L 525 479 Q 525 654 543 722 Q 556 746 540 761 Q 498 792 465 802 Q 449 805 432 791 Q 425 782 432 770 Q 462 727 462 629 Q 462 394 466 128 C 466 98 519 103 520 133 Z", "M 525 442 Q 573 436 682 459 Q 769 477 776 484 Q 786 493 780 503 Q 771 516 738 523 Q 704 529 670 514 Q 637 502 601 493 Q 564 484 525 479 C 495 475 495 445 525 442 Z", "M 528 82 Q 582 83 633 88 Q 781 100 911 81 Q 938 78 945 88 Q 954 103 940 116 Q 907 147 859 171 Q 843 178 813 169 Q 707 150 520 133 L 466 128 Q 363 121 309 114 Q 239 104 137 106 Q 121 106 120 93 Q 119 80 139 63 Q 184 30 234 41 Q 289 56 416 71 Q 468 78 528 82 Z"]
Meaning
The Chinese character “上” mainly means “up” or “above,” and is used for directions, positions, or movement to a higher place (e.g., go up, on top, upstairs). It can also mean “to go to / attend” (like go to class, go to work) or indicate something that is previous/earlier (like last week).
Metadata
Locale: en
Cached At: 5/9/2026, 2:28:51 AM

Usage

The character 上 (shàng) basically means “up, on, above, to go up,” and learners first meet it in very concrete spatial uses. It appears in words like 上面/上边 (on top, above), 上楼 (go upstairs), and 上车 (get on a vehicle). It also shows up in time expressions meaning “previous” or “earlier,” such as 上个月 (last month), 上星期 (last week), and 上午 (morning, literally “upper half of the day”). On its own as a verb, 上 usually means “to go up; to get on; to go to,” as in 上山 (go up the mountain), 上床 (get into bed), or 上学 (go to school). Beyond the basic “up” meaning, 上 is very common in everyday compound words related to attending, starting, or using something. For example, 上课 (attend class), 上班 (go to work), 上网 (go online), and 上菜 (serve a dish) are all frequent beginner- and intermediate-level vocabulary. As a grammar element, it also appears as a result complement meaning “to get onto / to manage to,” like 赶不上 (can’t catch up) or 找不上 (can’t manage to find), and in patterns like 上不去 / 上得去 (can’t/can go up). Overall, learners quickly recognize 上 as a versatile, high-frequency character tied to direction, time, and everyday activities.

Handwriting Notes

The character 上 is visually simple: a short horizontal line near the top, a longer horizontal line below it, and a vertical stroke that passes through the lower line and stops just under the upper one. In handwriting, people often write it with slightly curved or slanted lines rather than perfectly straight, and the vertical stroke may lean a bit left or right. The proportions can vary: some writers place the top short line very close to the middle line, others leave more space; the vertical stroke can be relatively thin or heavier, and its length below the middle line may differ. In casual or fast writing, 上 can be compressed, slightly tilted, or written with connecting motions that make the corners less sharp, but it usually remains quite recognizable because of its distinct “one short line above, one crossed line in the middle, one vertical through the middle line” layout. Modern AI handwriting recognition systems are trained on large numbers of such handwritten variations and can reliably recognize 上 even when individual writing styles distort it slightly.

Description

“上” is a common Chinese character meaning “up, above, on, or to go up.” It is used for physical position (e.g., on top of something), direction or movement upward, and can also mean “to attend” or “to go to” (such as a class or work).

Common Words

  • 上班shàngbānto go to work; to be on duty
  • 上学shàngxuéto go to school; to attend school
  • 上课shàngkèto attend class; (of a teacher) to give a lesson
  • 上网shàngwǎngto go online; to surf the internet
  • 上车shàngchēto get on a vehicle (bus, car, train, etc.)
  • 上山shàngshānto go up a mountain; to climb a hill
  • 上海ShànghǎiShanghai (a major city in China)
  • 上午shàngwǔmorning; forenoon
  • 上衣shàngyīupper garment; jacket; coat
  • 上涨shàngzhǎngto rise; to go up (often of prices or water level)
  • 上升shàngshēngto rise; to ascend
  • 上面shàngmiànabove; on top; the surface
  • 上去shàngqùto go up; to ascend (away from the speaker)
  • 上来shàngláito come up; to ascend (toward the speaker)
  • 上涨shàngzhǎngto increase; to rise (e.g. prices, stock market)
  • 上周shàngzhōulast week
  • 上个月shàng ge yuèlast month
  • 上午茶shàngwǔchámorning tea
  • 上半场shàngbànchǎngfirst half (of a game or match)
  • 上半身shàngbànshēnupper body; upper half of the body
Try writing this character