举国上下 (jǔ guó shàng xià) — the entire nation; all levels of society

Definition

A formal idiom meaning 'the entire nation, from leadership to ordinary citizens' — emphasizes that everyone at every level of society is united in one action or feeling.

idiom
the entire nationall levels of society

Examples

  • 举国上下。
    jǔ guó shàng xià Dōu zài wèi ào yùn huì de chéng gōng nǔ lì.
    The entire nation is working hard for the success of the Olympics.
  • 举国上下。
    Zhè ge xiāo xi ràng jǔ guó shàng xià dōu gǎn dào zhèn jīng.
    This news shocked the whole nation.
  • 举国上下，。
    jǔ guó shàng xià Tuán jié yí zhì, gòng tóng kàng jī zāi qíng.
    The whole nation united to fight the disaster together.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

举国entire country
举jǔall国guócountry
偏正Modifier + head
上下upper and lower
上shàngupper下xiàlower
联合Side by side

举国 means entire country and 上下 means upper and lower levels; together they refer to all levels of society.

Characters in this word

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 舉; 举 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ舉jǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 舉 pairs 與, which gives the sound, with 手, a hand; the simplified 举 is a later shorthand.

Open 举 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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 →

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

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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