升 shēng to advance
to advance; to raise; to ascend; to rise; to promote; liter
How it came to be
A scoop with a long handle, a few grains spilling from it. It measured grain, and lifting the full scoop is where going up and moving ahead come from.
How it is used
- Verb meaning "to rise, ascend": 上升 shàngshēng "to rise" (temperature, prices, level), 升级 shēngjí "to upgrade / advance a grade", 提升 tíshēng "to raise, promote (quality, rank)".
- Also a volume unit - "liter": 毫升 háoshēng "milliliter" - don't confuse this 升 shēng with the unrelated character 生 shēng.
- 升学 shēngxué "to advance to the next level of schooling" is a common education-context word.
Words with 升
- 上升shàngshēngto riseHSK 5
- 升温shēngwēnto become hotHSK 5
- 升级shēngjíto go up by one gradeHSK 5
- 提升tíshēngto promote (to a higher-ranking position)HSK 5
- 升学shēngxuéto enter the next grade schoolHSK 6
- 毫升háoshēngmilliliterHSK 6
- 升值shēngzhíto rise in valueHSK 8
- 升华shēnghuáto sublimateHSK 8
- 回升huíshēngto rise again after a fallHSK 8
- 攀升pānshēngto clamber upHSK 8
- 晋升jìnshēngto promote to a higher positionHSK 9
- 直升机zhíshēngjīhelicopterHSK 9
- 飙升biāoshēngto rise rapidlyHSK 9
Example sentences
- 国旗升起来了。 Guóqí shēng qǐlái le.The national flag has been raised.