Definition
天花板 has three main uses: a building's ceiling, a figurative upper limit (cap), and slang for the highest level in a field. As a noun for "upper limit", it is more colloquial than the formal 上限 (shàng xiàn); as slang for "the best", it is a noun ("the ceiling"), while 顶尖 (dǐng jiān) is an adjective ("top-notch").
noun
(in a room) ceiling(figurative) upper limitcap(slang) the highest levelthe very best (in a given field)
Examples
- 天花板。Gōngrén zhèngzài xiūlǐ tiān huā bǎn.Workers are repairing the ceiling.
- 天花板。Zhè cì tánpàn yǒu jiàgé tiān huā bǎn.This negotiation has a price cap.
- 天花板。Tā de wǔdǎo zài zhège lǐngyù shì tiān huā bǎn.Her dancing is the best in this field.
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