Definitions
(verb)
to rise; to ascend; to promote
(noun)
liter (unit of volume)
(noun)
measure for dry grain (1; 10 of a dou)
Etymology
Pictograph of a spoon with something inside it. Spoons are used to lift things up.
About
The character "升" originates as a pictograph of a specific type of ancient measuring vessel used for dry grains, with its earliest forms clearly depicting a container with a handle. This concrete object gave the character its primary meaning as a unit of volume, a definition it retains to this day. Structurally, the modern form is a direct inheritance from its traditional counterpart, which is identical, and it can be analyzed as a combination of components suggesting a tool for lifting or containing. Over time, the semantic field of the character expanded logically from the action of filling such a vessel to the more abstract and now dominant sense of "to rise", "to ascend", or "to promote", a metaphorical shift based on the upward movement involved in its original utilitarian function.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
太阳升起来了。
气球升上了天空。
他的职位升了。
水位正在上升。
公司计划升级系统。
经济发展促进生活水平提升。
随着温度升高，冰开始融化。
通过努力学习，他的成绩显著上升。