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上乘 (shàng chéng) — superior quality, first-class; Mahayana (Buddhism)

Definition

Literary word for 'top-quality' (works, art, craftsmanship) — echoes its Buddhist origin (Mahayana, the 'greater vehicle') but in modern use is a high-register compliment, not a religious term.

noun
superior qualityfirst-classMahayana (Buddhism)

Examples

  • 上乘。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō shì wén xué zhōng de shàng chéng zhī zuò.
    This novel is a work of superior quality in literature.
  • 上乘。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de cài pǐn kān chēng shàng chéng.
    The dishes at this restaurant can be called first-class.
  • 上乘。
    Tā shōu cáng de dōu shì shàng chéng de gǔ dǒng.
    The antiques he collects are all of superior quality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

上shàngupper
乘chéngvehicle

上 means upper and 乘 means vehicle or grade, so it denotes the highest class.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

乘 was drawn as a person climbing a tree, with the feet visible.

Open 乘 →
Appears in
Good & BadReligion & Belief

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