尚未 (shàng wèi) — not yet; still not | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

尚未 is the most formal 'not yet' — stronger than 未 and more literary than 仍然 ('still'). Use it in writing, especially for things still pending.

adverb

not yetstill not

Examples

尚未。
Diào chá jié guǒ shàng wèi gōng bù.
The investigation results have not yet been announced.
尚未。
Shuāng fāng shàng wèi dá chéng xié yì.
The two sides have not yet reached an agreement.
尚未。
Xīn zhèng cè shàng wèi shí shī.
The new policy has not yet been implemented.

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.

未wèinot yet

尚未 uses 尚 still with 未 not-yet to mean still not.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

向

向xiàng尚shàng

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

尚 pairs 八 with 向: 八 carries the meaning, and 向 gives the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 未 shows a tree with extra branches spreading above its trunk, like lush, overlapping limbs.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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