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上层 (shàng céng) — upper level, upper floor (physical); upper echelon, upper class (social, organizational)

Definition

上层 means 'upper level' — literally physical floors, or the upper class/social echelon. Of the listed peers, 高层 leans toward buildings and top management, 上级 specifically means one's direct superior, and 阶层 is the abstract social stratum.

noun
upper levelupper floor (physical)upper echelonupper class (social, organizational)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 上层。
    Zhè zuò tú shū guǎn de shàng céng shì yuè lǎn shì.
    The upper floor of this library is the reading room.
  • 上层。
    shàng céng Rén shì de yì jiàn wǎng wǎng yǐng xiǎng jué cè.
    The opinions of upper-level figures often influence decision-making.
  • 上层。
    Fēi jī de shàng céng zuò wèi gèng kuān chang.
    The upper-level seats on the plane are more spacious.

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.

上shàngupper
层cénglayer

“上” indicates higher position, and “层” means layer, so the meaning is an upper level or group.

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.

Open 上 →

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 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Social Roles & Status

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