Definition
上座 (shǎng) has several distinct senses. Its original meaning is 'seat of honor' — the place for the most respected person at a gathering. In Buddhist contexts it refers to senior monks or founders (上座部 is the Theravada school). In modern colloquial usage, especially in entertainment, it means 'to attract a large audience' or 'to be a box-office success' — a film that 上座 is a hit. The word can also function as a polite verb meaning 'to take one's seat', though less common. Note the pronunciation: in these usages it is read shǎng, not shàng zuò.
p.w.
seat of honor(of a performance, film) to attract a large audienceto be a box-office success(Buddhist) senior monkfounding patriarch
Examples
- ，上座。Zài yànhuì shang, lǎorén bèi qǐng dào le shǎng.At the banquet, the elderly person was invited to the seat of honor.
- 上座，。Zhè bù diànyǐng shǎng hěn gāo, chǎng chǎng bào mǎn.This movie has high attendance; every show is packed.
- 上座。Nà zuò sìmiào lǐ yǒu jǐ wèi shǎng.That temple has several senior monks.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.