TongTong
Sign in

海上 (hǎi shàng) — (attributive) maritime, marine, seafaring; (noun) at sea, on the sea

Definition

海上 means 'at sea / maritime' and is used as a set modifier before nouns (海上运输 'maritime transport') or after 在 to indicate location. Contrast with 海里, which refers to being inside the water.

adjective
(attributive) maritimemarineseafaring
noun
at seaon the sea

Examples

  • 海上。
    hǎi shàng Yùn shū fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Maritime transport is very important.
  • 海上。
    Tā men zài hǎi shàng gōng zuò le liǎng nián.
    They worked at sea for two years.
  • 海上。
    hǎi shàng De fēng jǐng hěn měi.
    The scenery on the sea is beautiful.

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.

海hǎisea
上shàngon/above

海上 combines 海 sea and 上 on/above to mean on the sea.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.