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身上 (shēn shàng) — on one's body; on the person; at hand; about one's person; in / among (of qualities, traits, or conditions that exist in a person)

Definition

Locative noun meaning 'on one's body' or 'on one's person' — used for things being carried/worn (身上带钱) and for abstract qualities a person has (她身上有一种气质).

noun
on one's bodyon the personat handabout one's personin / among (of qualities, traits, or conditions that exist in a person)

Examples

  • 身上。
    Tā shēn shàng chuān zhuó yí jiàn hēi sè wài tào.
    He's wearing a black jacket on his body.
  • 身上？
    Nǐ shēn shàng dài qián le ma?
    Do you have money on you?
  • 身上。
    Tā shēn shàng yǒu yì zhǒng shuō bù chū de qì zhì.
    She has an indescribable quality about her.

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.

身shēnbody
上shàngon

身 means body, and 上 adds the sense of on.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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 →
Appears in
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