上供

shànggòng
verb #65,110

Meanings

  1. 1 to make offerings (to gods or ancestors)
  2. 2 to offer gifts to superiors to win favor

Examples

Chūnjié shí, nǎinai zài zǔxiān páiwèi qián shànggòng.
At Spring Festival, Grandma makes offerings before the ancestral tablets.
Tā kào gěi lǐngdǎo shànggòng pá shàng le gāo wèi.
He climbed to a high position by offering bribes to his superiors.

Tips

usage
Two registers: literal religious offering (incense, fruit, food on an altar) vs. modern slang for bribery / sucking up to superiors. Context disambiguates.
culture
Traditional offerings (供品 gòngpǐn, offering items) include fruit, steamed buns, tea, and meat, placed on an altar with incense for ancestors and household deities.

Stroke Order

shàng
gōng