上铺 (shàng pù) — upper berth, upper bunk

Definition

The upper berth on a train sleeper car. Pairs with 下铺 (lower) and 中铺 (middle) when booking.

noun

upper berthupper bunk

Measure word · 个

上铺。
Wǒ mǎi de huǒ chē piào shì shàng pù.
The train ticket I bought is for an upper berth.
上铺，。
Tā xǐ huan shuì shàng pù, yīn wèi bǐ jiào ān jìng.
He likes to sleep in the upper bunk because it's quieter.
上铺。
Qǐng bǎ xíng li fàng dào shàng pù shàng qù.
Please put the luggage up on the upper berth.

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 gives upper and 铺 gives berth, meaning upper bunk.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鋪; 铺 is its simplified writing.

金甫鋪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīngold; metal

Sound part声符shēngfú

甫

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鋪 pairs 金 (gold; metal) with 甫 as a sound part; the simplified 铺 is a shorthand.

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