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上方 (shàng fāng) — the area above; upper part; (literary or Buddhist) celestial realm; heaven

Definition

Spatial noun meaning 'the area above / upper part' of something (书在桌子的上方). It can also refer to a celestial or higher realm in literary or religious writing, but the everyday sense is simply physical 'above'.

noun
the area aboveupper part(literary or Buddhist) celestial realmheaven

Examples

  • 上方。
    Shū zài zhuō zi de shàng fāng.
    The book is above the table.
  • 上方。
    Zhè ge wèn tí xū yào shàng bào shàng fāng.
    This issue needs to be reported to higher authorities.
  • ，上方。
    Chuán shuō zhōng, shàng fāng yǒu shén xiān jū zhù.
    According to legend, immortals live in the celestial realm.

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shàngabove
方fāngplace

上 gives above, 方 gives place, so together it means the upper area or realm.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →
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