上首 (shàng shǒu) — seat of honor (traditionally the left-hand seat in Chinese seating arrangements)

Definition

上首 (shǎng) is the traditional seat of honor for the most important guest, usually on the left when facing the host at a banquet. The term is formal and used in traditional seating contexts, not everyday conversation.

noun
seat of honor (traditionally the left-hand seat in Chinese seating arrangements)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，上首。
    Zài yàn xí shàng, zuì zhòng yào de kè rén zuò zài shàng shǒu.
    At the banquet, the most important guest sits in the seat of honor.
  • ，上首。
    Tā zuò wéi zhǎng bèi, bèi ān pái zài le shàng shǒu.
    As an elder, he was arranged to sit in the seat of honor.
  • 上首。
    Zhè zhāng yuán zhuō de shàng shǒu zhèng duì zhe dà mén.
    The seat of honor at this round table faces the main door directly.

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
首shǒuhead

「上」 (upper) and 「首」 (first/head) name the foremost honored seat.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape comes from an old drawing of an animal's head, showing a long mouth and horns; the version with hair became 首.

Open 首 →

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