上部 (shàng bù) — (position word) upper part; top section

Definition

noun

(position word) upper parttop section

Measure word · 个

Easily confused

上部。
Zhè ge jiàn zhù wù de shàng bù shì bō li zuò de.
The upper part of this building is made of glass.
上部。
Qǐng bǎ shàng bù de chuāng hu dǎ kāi.
Please open the windows on the upper part.
上部、。
Rén tǐ shàng bù bāo kuò tóu, jǐng hé qū gàn.
The upper part of the human body includes the head, neck, and torso.

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 means upper and 部 means part, giving upper part.

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

咅

咅pǒu部bù

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.