Definition
占上风 (pronounced zhàn shàng fēng, not zhān) is a fixed verb-object phrase meaning 'to have the upper hand' or 'to be in a dominant position'. The verb 占 means 'to occupy' and the object 上风 means 'the advantageous side'. It is commonly used in competitive contexts—games, debates, arguments, or conflicts—to indicate that one side is winning or in control. Although classified as a separable verb (v.o.), the phrase is rarely split; the unseparated form 占上风 is standard. Occasionally you might see 占了上风 to emphasize a completed state.
v.o.
to have the upper handto be in a dominant positionto gain the advantage (in a competition or struggle)
Examples
- ,占上风。Biànlùn zhōng, duìfāng yìzhí zhān.In the debate, the other side had the upper hand the whole time.
- ,。Zhè cì xuǎnjǔ, bǎoshǒupài jiànjiàn zhàn le shàngfēng.In this election, the conservatives gradually gained the upper hand.
- ,占上风,。Tánpàn yì kāishǐ, wǒ fāng jiù zhān, bī duìfāng ràngbù.Right from the start of the negotiations, our side had the advantage and forced the other side to concede.
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