上空

shàngkōng

noun HSK 7-9 #8,086

Meanings

1 in the sky above
2 overhead (in the air)

Characters

sky; air; empty

The upper sky — the sky above a specific place.

Examples

一架飞机飞过城市上空。

Yī jià fēijī fēiguò chéngshì shàngkōng.

A plane flew over the city.

战斗机在边境上空巡逻。

Zhàndòujī zài biānjìng shàngkōng xúnluó.

Fighter jets patrol the skies above the border.

Tips

usage

上空 specifically means the sky/airspace above a location. It's commonly used in news and military contexts: 领空 (lǐngkōng, airspace/territorial sky) is the legal term, while 上空 is descriptive.

Stroke Order

上 shàng

空 kōng