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上 — up; upper; above

up; upper; above; previous; first

Pinyin
shàng · shǎng
Strokes
3
HSK level
HSK 1
Handwriting
required

This character has more than one reading — shàng, shǎng — and the pronunciation depends on the word it appears in. The list below gives the syllabus reading for each word.

How to write 上: 3 strokes

Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. This character is on the HSK handwriting list, so the exam expects you to write it, not only recognise it.

上 — 3 strokes, in writing order from left to right.

Build a printable practice sheet with 上

Words with 上 in the HSK syllabus: 59

Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.

  1. 上shàngup; upper; above; previous; firstHSK 1
  2. 上班shàngbānto go to work; to be on duty; to start workHSK 1
  3. 上课shàngkèto go to class; to attend classHSK 1
  4. 上午shàngwǔmorningHSK 1
  5. 上学shàngxuéto go to school; to attend schoolHSK 1
  6. 晚上wǎnshangevening; night; in the eveningHSK 1
  7. 早上zǎoshangearly morningHSK 1
  8. 路上lùshangon the road; on the way; en routeHSK 2
  9. 上来shàngláito come up; to approachHSK 2
  10. 上面shàngmiànon top of; above-mentionedHSK 2
  11. 上去shàngqùto go upHSK 2
  12. 上网shàngwǎngto go online; to connect to the InternetHSK 2
  13. 网上wǎngshangonlineHSK 2
  14. 马上mǎshàngat once; right away; immediately; on horsebackHSK 3
  15. 上衣shàngyījacket; upper outer garmentHSK 3
  16. 以上yǐshàngthat level or higher; that amount or moreHSK 3
  17. 赶上gǎnshàngto keep up with; to catch up with; to overtakeHSK 4
  18. 基本上jīběnshàngbasically; on the wholeHSK 4
  19. 加上jiāshàngplus; to put in; to add; to add on; to add intoHSK 4
  20. 上门shàngménto drop in; to visit; to lock a door; to closeHSK 4
  21. 实际上shíjìshàngin fact; in reality; as a matter of factHSK 4
  22. 线上xiànshàngonlineHSK 4
  23. 上传shàngchuánto uploadHSK 5
  24. 上升shàngshēngto rise; to go up; to ascendHSK 5
  25. 上下shàngxiàthe top and bottom of sthHSK 5
  26. 上涨shàngzhǎngto rise; to go upHSK 5
  27. 天上tiānshàngthe sky; the heavensHSK 5
  28. 向上xiàngshàngupward; up; to advance; to try to improve oneselfHSK 5
  29. 成千上万chéngqiān-shàngwànby the thousands and tens of thousandsHSK 6
  30. 上当shàngdàngtaken in; to be fooled; to be dupedHSK 6
  31. 上级shàngjíhigher authorities; superiorsHSK 6
  32. 上进shàngjìnto make progress; to do betterHSK 6
  33. 上市shàngshìto hit the market; to floatHSK 6
  34. 上述shàngshùaforementioned; above-mentionedHSK 6
  35. 上台shàngtáito rise to power; to go on stageHSK 6
  36. 上旬shàngxúnfirst third of a monthHSK 6
  37. 不相上下bùxiāng-shàngxiàequally matched; about the sameHSK 7–9
  38. 皇上huángshangthe emperor; Your majesty the emperorHSK 7–9
  39. 锦上添花jǐnshàng-tiānhuāto add flowers to brocadeHSK 7–9
  40. 上半场shàngbànchǎngfirst half of a game or contestHSK 7–9

And 19 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.

Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.