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台上 (tái shàng) — (noun) on the stage; on stage; (noun) in a position of power or authority; in office

Definition

台上 has two distinct meanings: the literal 'on the stage' (where performers stand), and the figurative 'in power / in office' (a leader 台上 = in a position of authority). The opposite is 台下.

noun
on the stageon stagein a position of power or authorityin office

Examples

  • 台上。
    Tā zài tái shàng biǎo yǎn le sān gè xiǎo shí.
    He performed on stage for three hours.
  • 台上，。
    Zhè wèi lǐng dǎo yǐ jīng zài tái shàng shí duō nián le, jīng yàn hěn fēng fù.
    This leader has been in power for over ten years and has rich experience.
  • 台上。
    tái shàng De yǎn yuán bǐ tái xià de guān zhòng hái jǐn zhāng.
    The actors on stage are even more nervous than the audience off stage.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →

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 →
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