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上路 (shàng lù) — to set out on a journey, to start a trip; (slang) to be sensible, to know how to behave properly; to be on the right track

Definition

上路 literally means 'get on the road' — to set out on a trip. Colloquially it also means 'sensible, reliable' (a person who knows what they're doing). Note: the pinyin is shànglù (two syllables), not shǎng.

verb
to set out on a journeyto start a trip(slang) to be sensibleto know how to behave properlyto be on the right track

Examples

  • 上路，。
    Tā men yì zǎo jiù shàng lù le, zhōng wǔ cái dào.
    They set out early in the morning and didn't arrive until noon.
  • 上路，。
    Tā zhè ge rén hěn shàng lù, zuò shì bú yòng rén cāo xīn.
    He's very sensible — you don't need to worry about him getting things done.
  • 上路。
    Wǒ men míng tiān shàng lù qù guǎng zhōu.
    We'll set out for Guangzhou tomorrow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

上shànggo onto
路lùroad

上 (go onto) takes 路 (road) as what is entered, giving the sense of setting out on a journey.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Travel & Tourism

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