上星期 (shàng xīng qī) — last week | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

last week

Examples

上星期。
shàng xīng qī Wǒ men qù le běi jīng lǚ yóu.
Last week we went to Beijing for a trip.
上星期。
shàng xīng qī De kǎo shì bǐ wǒ xiǎng de róng yì duō le.
Last week's exam was much easier than I thought.
上星期。
shàng xīng qī Tā qǐng le sān tiān jiǎ.
Last week he took three days off.

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shàngprevious

星期week

星xīngplanet期qīperiod

偏正Modifier + head

上, previous, with 星期, week, means the week just past.

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

晶晶jīngtwinkling stars
生生shēng

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

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

其

其qí期qī

Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Appears in

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