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上升 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
上升shàngshēngto riseHSK 5, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #4375, Hard
上升shàngshēngto go upHSK 5, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #4375, Hard
上升shàngshēngto ascendHSK 5, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #4375, Hard
shàngshēng(shang4sheng1)shang sheng T4
  1. 1to rise
  2. 2to go up
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March 24, 2026

上升(上昇)shàngshēng(shang4sheng1)

上升 (shàngshēng) means to rise or ascend, often used in contexts such as temperature, prices, or elevation. It conveys a sense of upward movement or increase, whether physically or metaphorically, such as in career progression.

Strokes7Frequency#4375DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, rising prices or inflation can often be a topic of concern, especially during festivals when demand increases. The concept of rising is also reflected in the traditional belief of ascendance in life, symbolized by the 'dragon' as a sign of success.

Memory Tip

Imagine a hot air balloon (上, shàng) rising (升, shēng) into the sky. The character 上 looks like a person standing on top of a mountain, and when you combine it with 升, which resembles a flowing upwards movement, you get the idea of ascending.

Meanings of 上升

shàngshēng(shang4sheng1)
1to rise
2to go up
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About 上升

上升Simplified
上昇Traditional
7Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL3HSKKL2CEFRA2

Podcast: 上升

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Podcast: 上升

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AI Study Notes for 上升

Quick Contrast

上升 (shàngshēng) vs 提升 (tíshēng) — use 上升 for physical or metaphorical rising, while 提升 specifically refers to promotion or improvement in status.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 上升 with 升级 (shēngjí), which specifically means to upgrade. 上升 can be both formal and informal, but is more commonly used in everyday language. Pay attention to the tones, as mispronouncing them can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

While 上升 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects well with other words related to movement or change, such as 增加 (zēngjiā, to increase) or 提高 (tígāo, to raise). Focus on recognizing the context in which 上升 is used and practice sentences that describe rising phenomena.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 上升 when describing a decrease, such as saying '价格上升了' when they mean 'prices fell.' The correct term for falling prices would be 下降 (xiàjiàng).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 上升

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Component Characters

上shàngon top
HSK 13 strokes一
View full entry
升shēngto ascend
HSK 54 strokes十
View full entry

How to say to rise in Chinese

“to rise” in Chinese is上升shàngshēng

上升 (shàngshēng) means to rise or ascend, often used in contexts such as temperature, prices, or elevation. It conveys a sense of upward movement or increase, whether physically or metaphorically, such as in career progression.

When to use 上升

Be careful not to confuse 上升 with 升级 (shēngjí), which specifically means to upgrade. 上升 can be both formal and informal, but is more commonly used in everyday language. Pay attention to the tones, as mispronouncing them can change the meaning.

上升 or something close to it

上升 (shàngshēng) vs 提升 (tíshēng) — use 上升 for physical or metaphorical rising, while 提升 specifically refers to promotion or improvement in status.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 上升 when describing a decrease, such as saying '价格上升了' when they mean 'prices fell.' The correct term for falling prices would be 下降 (xiàjiàng).

Write 上升

上
升

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Frequently Asked Questions about 上升

You can say, '价格上升了' (jiàgé shàngshēng le) meaning 'The prices have risen.'

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