天花板 (tiān huā bǎn) — (in a room) ceiling; (figurative) upper limit, cap; (slang) the highest level; the very best (in a given field)
Definition
Literally 'ceiling,' used figuratively for an upper limit or peak level in a field. Unlike 上限 (a hard numerical cap) and 封顶 (verb, 'to cap'), 天花板 names the ceiling itself — a state, not an action.
noun
(in a room) ceiling(figurative) upper limitcap(slang) the highest levelthe very best (in a given field)
Measure word · 块
Examples
- 天花板。Gōng rén zhèng zài xiū lǐ tiān huā bǎn.Workers are repairing the ceiling.
- 天花板。Zhè cì tán pàn yǒu jià gé tiān huā bǎn.This negotiation has a price cap.
- 天花板。Tā de wǔ dǎo zài zhè ge lǐng yù shì tiān huā bǎn.Her dancing is the best in this field.
Appears in
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