HSK Level 3

上面

shàng miàn

above; on top of

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Example Sentences

上面有只猫。

shàngmiàn yǒu zhī māo.

There is a cat on it.

我住在上面。

wǒ zhù zài shàngmiàn.

I live upstairs.

请把书放在上面。

qǐng bǎ shū fàng zài shàngmiàn.

Please put the book on it.

Synonyms

上面 (shàngmiàn)

above

上面 (shàngmiàn)

on top

Antonyms

下面 (xiàmiàn)

below

底下 (dǐxià)

underneath

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 上面 (shàngmiàn) is composed of two characters: 上 (shàng), meaning "up" or "above", and 面 (miàn), meaning "surface" or "face". Together, they literally mean "the upper surface" or "the top".In terms of etymology, the character 上 (shàng) is derived from the ancient Chinese pictogram of a person standing on a hill, representing the concept of "up" or "above". The character 面 (miàn) is derived from the ancient Chinese pictogram of a person's face, representing the concept of "surface" or "face".When combined, the characters 上 (shàng) and 面 (miàn) form the word 上面 (shàngmiàn), which has a variety of meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It can be used as a noun to refer to the upper part of something, such as the top of a mountain or the ceiling of a room. It can also be used as a preposition to indicate a location above or on top of something, such as "on the table" or "above the clouds". Additionally, it can be used as a verb to mean "to go up" or "to ascend", such as "to climb up the mountain" or "to rise to the top".Overall, the etymology of the Chinese word 上面 (shàngmiàn) reflects its literal meaning of "the upper surface" or "the top", and its various uses in the Chinese language.