人上人

Chinese

		man; person; people	up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	man; person; people
simp. and trad. (人上人)		人	上	人
Literally: “man who is above men”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rénshàngrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jan⁴ soeng⁶ jan⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rénshàngrén
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rénshàngrén
    • Wade–Giles: jên²-shang⁴-jên²
    • Yale: rén-shàng-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: renshanqren
    • Palladius: жэньшанжэнь (žɛnʹšanžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jan⁴ soeng⁶ jan⁴
    • Yale: yàhn seuhng yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan⁴ soeng⁶ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen⁴ sêng⁶ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn²¹ sœːŋ²² jɐn²¹/

Noun

人上人

1. one who is above the others in the society; top person

   • 卻說嬌杏這丫鬟，便是那年回顧雨村者，因偶然一顧，便弄出這段事來，亦是自己意料不到之奇緣。……正是：『偶然一著錯，便為人上人。』 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     却说娇杏这丫鬟，便是那年回顾雨村者，因偶然一顾，便弄出这段事来，亦是自己意料不到之奇缘。……正是：『偶然一著错，便为人上人。』 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE

     Quèshuō Jiāoxìng zhè yāhuán, biànshì nà nián huígù Yǔcūn zhě, yīn ǒurán yī gù, biàn nòng chū zhè duàn shì lái, yì shì zìjǐ yìliào bùdào zhī qíyuán....... Zhèngshì: ‘Ǒurán yīzhù cuò, biàn wèi rénshàngrén.’ [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

• 不受苦中苦，難為人上人／不受苦中苦，难为人上人
• 不吃苦中苦，難為人上人／不吃苦中苦，难为人上人
• 吃得苦中苦，方為人上人／吃得苦中苦，方为人上人 (chī de kǔ zhōng kǔ, fāng wéi rén shàng rén)

 

See also

• 上上人