上流 (shàng liú) — upper-class circles, high society; upper reache… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

上流 has two distinct senses: 'upper reaches' of a river (as in 上游), and 'high society / upper class' (as in 上流社会). The social sense is the more common figurative use at this level.

noun

upper-class circleshigh societyupper reaches (of a river)

Examples

上流，。
Tā lái zì shàng liú shè huì, jiā lǐ fēi cháng yǒu qián.
He comes from high society; his family is very wealthy.
上流。
Zhè tiáo hé de shàng liú shuǐ zhì fēi cháng qīng chè.
The water quality in the upper reaches of this river is very clear.
上流。
Tā jīng cháng cān jiā shàng liú jiē céng de jù huì.
She often attends gatherings of the upper class.

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 (upper) + 流 (flow) = upper reaches, extended to upper-class circles.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

㐬

㐬㐬流liú

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

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Appears in

Society & Public Life

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