上坟 (shàng fén) — to visit a grave (to pay respects to the deceased)

Definition

上坟 means to visit a family grave to pay respects to ancestors, typically at Qingming (清明) or other death anniversaries. The verb 上 here is directional ('go up to'); the activity is a cultural ritual, not casual sightseeing.

verb
to visit a grave (to pay respects to the deceased)

Examples

  • 上坟。
    Měi nián qīng míng jié wǒ men dōu huì qù shàng fén.
    We go to visit graves every Qingming Festival.
  • 。
    Shàng zhōu wǒ huí lǎo jiā shàng le yí cì fén.
    Last week I went back to my hometown and visited the grave once.
  • 上坟，。
    Tā yí gè rén qù shàng fén le, hěn zǎo jiù chū fā le.
    He went to visit the grave alone and set out very early.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

上shànggo to
坟féngrave

上 conveys going to or attending, and 坟 is the grave; together they mean visiting a grave.

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 墳; 坟 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
賁
賁bì墳fén
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 墳, 土 shows the meaning and 賁 gives the sound.

Open 坟 →

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