shàng ge xīngqī: 上个星期 - Last Week

• Keywords: last week in Chinese, shang ge xingqi, 上个星期 pinyin, meaning of shang ge, Chinese time words, last month in Chinese, last year in Chinese, HSK 1 vocabulary, Mandarin time phrases.
• Summary: “上个星期” (shàng ge xīngqī) is the most common way to say “last week” or “the previous week” in Mandarin Chinese. This fundamental HSK 1 time phrase is built on a simple and logical pattern using “上” (shàng) to mean “previous.” Understanding this term is essential for talking about past events and is a key building block for mastering Chinese time-related vocabulary like “last month” (上个月) and “next week” (下个星期).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shàng ge xīngqī
• Part of Speech: Time Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A direct translation for “last week.”
• In a Nutshell: “上个星期” is the go-to phrase for referring to the week that has just passed. It literally combines “previous” (上), a measure word (个), and “week” (星期). It firmly places any associated action or event in the recent past. It's a cornerstone of everyday conversation for planning, recounting stories, and scheduling.

• 上 (shàng): Originally a pictogram of a line above another, meaning “up” or “above.” In the context of time, it takes on the meaning of “previous” or “last.” Think of time flowing like a river; the past is “upstream.”
• 个 (ge): The most common measure word in Chinese. It acts as a bridge between the descriptor (上) and the noun (星期). While sometimes optional, including it is very common in spoken Chinese.
• 星 (xīng): Means “star.”
• 期 (qī): Means a “period” or “cycle.”

When combined, `星期 (xīngqī)` literally means a “star period,” reflecting ancient methods of timekeeping based on celestial bodies. Putting it all together, `上个星期 (shàng ge xīngqī)` means “the previous week-period.”

The term “上个星期” itself is a simple time marker, but the logic behind it reveals a core concept in Chinese language: the spatial metaphor for time. Unlike English where “last,” “this,” and “next” are three unrelated words, Chinese uses a consistent “up/down” system for many time units:

• 上 (shàng) - “Up”: Refers to the past (last week, last month).
• 这 (zhè) - “This”: Refers to the present (this week, this month).
• 下 (xià) - “Down”: Refers to the future (next week, next month).

This can be visualized as a timeline or a flowing river. The past is “upstream” (上游), and the future is “downstream” (下游). This logical, visual system is a powerful pattern that, once learned, makes remembering a wide range of time words much easier for learners. It reflects a systematic way of organizing concepts that is common in the Chinese language.

“上个星期” is used constantly in all registers of spoken and written Chinese. It's as common as “last week” is in English.

• In Conversation: Used to ask about recent events, talk about what you did, or reference something that happened. It's informal and natural.
• In Business: Used for scheduling, reviewing past performance, and setting deadlines. “What were last week's sales figures?”
• Variations: You will often hear or see `上星期 (shàng xīngqī)` without the `个 (ge)`. This is also perfectly correct and is slightly more common in writing or can sound a bit more concise. For a beginner, using `上个星期` with the `个` is always a safe and natural-sounding choice.

• Example 1:
  • 我上个星期很忙。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ shàng ge xīngqī hěn máng.
  • English: I was very busy last week.
  • Analysis: A simple statement of fact. The time phrase `上个星期` is placed at the beginning of the sentence (after the subject) to establish the time frame for the entire statement.
• Example 2:
  • 你上个星期去哪儿了？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shàng ge xīngqī qù nǎr le?
  • English: Where did you go last week?
  • Analysis: A common question using `了 (le)` to indicate a completed action in the past.
• Example 3:
  • 上个星期的天气非常好。
  • Pinyin: Shàng ge xīngqī de tiānqì fēicháng hǎo.
  • English: The weather last week was extremely good.
  • Analysis: Here, `上个星期` acts as an adjective modifying “weather” (天气) with the help of the particle `的 (de)`.
• Example 4:
  • 他上个星期一给我打了电话。
  • Pinyin: Tā shàng ge xīngqī yī gěi wǒ dǎle diànhuà.
  • English: He gave me a call last Monday.
  • Analysis: This shows how to specify a particular day within the previous week. You simply state the day (星期一, Monday) after the main time phrase.
• Example 5:
  • 这部电影是上个星期上映的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng shì shàng ge xīngqī shàngyìng de.
  • English: This movie was released last week.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the `是…的 (shì…de)` construction to emphasize the time (last week) when the action (releasing the movie) occurred.
• Example 6:
  • 我们上个星期才认识。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen shàng ge xīngqī cái rènshi.
  • English: We only met last week.
  • Analysis: The word `才 (cái)` is used here to emphasize that the event happened more recently than one might expect.
• Example 7:
  • 上个星期我读完了一本书。
  • Pinyin: Shàng ge xīngqī wǒ dú wán le yī běn shū.
  • English: I finished reading a book last week.
  • Analysis: The result complement `完 (wán)` combined with `了 (le)` clearly indicates the completion of the action “to read” (读) within the past time frame.
• Example 8:
  • 老板说上个星期的报告写得不错。
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn shuō shàng ge xīngqī de bàogào xiě de bùcuò.
  • English: The boss said that last week's report was written well.
  • Analysis: Another example of using `的 (de)` to make “last week” a descriptor for the noun “report” (报告).
• Example 9:
  • 我忘了上个星期我们开会讨论了什么。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ wàng le shàng ge xīngqī wǒmen kāihuì tǎolùn le shénme.
  • English: I forgot what we discussed in the meeting last week.
  • Analysis: This shows `上个星期` used within a more complex sentence structure, as part of an object clause.
• Example 10:
  • 跟上个星期比，这个星期我感觉好多了。
  • Pinyin: Gēn shàng ge xīngqī bǐ, zhège xīngqī wǒ gǎnjué hǎo duō le.
  • English: Compared to last week, I feel much better this week.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the `跟…比 (gēn…bǐ)` structure to draw a direct comparison between “last week” and “this week.”

• Mistake 1: Mixing up 上 and 下. This is the most frequent error for beginners. Remember the “river of time” metaphor:
  • 上 (shàng) = Upstream = Past = Last Week
  • 下 (xià) = Downstream = Future = Next Week
  • Incorrect: `我下个星期去了北京。` (I next week went to Beijing.)
  • Correct: `我上个星期去了北京。` (I last week went to Beijing.)
• Mistake 2: Forgetting the measure word. While `上星期` is correct, it's slightly more formal. In everyday speech, `上个星期` is more common and natural. Forgetting the `个` when it's needed with other numbers can be an error.
  • Correct: `上个星期` (shàng ge xīngqī) - Last week.
  • Also Correct: `上星期` (shàng xīngqī) - Last week (slightly more formal/abbreviated).
  • Incorrect: `上星期们` - You cannot make time words plural.
• Mistake 3: Unnecessary use of 在 (zài). In English, we say “in the morning” or “on Monday,” but with relative time words like `昨天 (zuótiān)`, `今天 (jīntiān)`, and `上个星期`, you typically do not need the preposition `在 (zài)`.
  • Incorrect: `我在上个星期很忙。`
  • Correct: `我上个星期很忙。`

• 这个星期 (zhè ge xīngqī) - This week; the current week.
• 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī) - Next week; the antonym of `上个星期`.
• 上个月 (shàng ge yuè) - Last month; applies the same `上` (last) pattern to the word for “month.”
• 下个月 (xià ge yuè) - Next month; applies the `下` (next) pattern.
• 去年 (qùnián) - Last year. Note that “year” (年) uses a different character, `去 (qù)`, meaning “to go” or “gone by.”
• 上周 (shàng zhōu) - A more formal or written synonym for `上个星期`. `周 (zhōu)` is another word for “week.”
• 下周 (xià zhōu) - A more formal synonym for `下个星期`.
• 昨天 (zuótiān) - Yesterday.
• 周末 (zhōumò) - Weekend. You can say `上个周末 (shàng ge zhōumò)` for “last weekend.”