上坡路 (shàng pō lù) — uphill road; a road that goes up a slope; (figurative) an upward trend; a path of progress or improvement

Definition

Literally 'uphill road', used figuratively to mean a positive trend or steady improvement (career, business, performance). Often paired with 走 ('walking the uphill road') to describe ongoing progress.

noun
uphill roada road that goes up a slope(figurative) an upward trenda path of progress or improvement
Measure word · 条
Easily confused

Examples

  • 上坡路，。
    Zhè tiáo shàng pō lù hěn dǒu, kāi chē yào xiǎo xīn.
    This uphill road is very steep; drive carefully.
  • ，。
    Tā de shì yè zhèng zǒu shàng pō lù, yuè lái yuè hǎo.
    His career is on the upswing, getting better and better.
  • 上坡路，。
    Gōng sī zuì jìn zǒu shàng le shàng pō lù, yè jì zēng zhǎng hěn kuài.
    The company has recently been on an upward trend, with rapid performance growth.

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.

上坡go up a slope
上shànggo up坡pōslope
动宾Verb + object
路lùroad

上坡路 combines 上坡 go up a slope and 路 road, giving an uphill path.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí坡pō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

坡 combines 土, shown as dirt, with 皮, a part used for sound.

Open 坡 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

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