Writing
上 (shàng) — how to say "on" in Chinese
上
On, above
locative word · verb
How to use it
Goes after the noun, not before it.
书在桌子上。
shū zài zhuō zi shàng
The book is on the table.
Radicals / Keys
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Collocations
桌子上
zhuōzi shàng
on the table
Examples
手机在桌子上，你看见了吗？
The phone is on the table, did you see it?
书在桌子上
The book is on the table.
Mnemonic
[shàng-] Sherlock Holmes is solving a mystery involving a strange symbol that looks like 上. He climbs on a ladder to examine a clue placed on a picture frame above him, softly exclaiming "Ah, it's 上 on the wall!" while Watson watches in awe 🔍.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "on" in Chinese?
"on" in Chinese is 上 (shàng).
上 meaning in English
上 (shàng) means "On, above".
How is 上 pronounced?
It is pronounced shàng (written as shang). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
On in Chinese character
It is written 上 and has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 上?
上 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 上
有 — existence with “there is”
Place + 有 (yǒu) + Obj.
多 — over, more than
Number + 多 (duō) + Measure Word (+ Noun)
从…到 — from… to…
从 (cóng)⋯⋯到 (dào)⋯⋯
就要 — about to happen
(还有 (háiyǒu) + Time Period) + 就要 (jiùyào) + Verb Phrase + 了 (le)
才 — lateness, “not until”
Subj. + Time + 才 (cái) + Verb
之一 — one of
Noun + 之一 (zhī yī)