thượng sách

noun Sino-Vietnamese

Hanoi [tʰɨəŋ˧˨ʔ sajk̟̚˧˦]Huế [tʰɨəŋ˨˩ʔ ʂat̚˦˧˥]Saigon [tʰɨəŋ˨˩˨ ʂat̚˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

thượngheavynặng sáchrisingsắc

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

thượng sách means the best/optimal plan/course of action.

Chinese characters: 上策 (上 “upper” + 策 “plan”)

Meanings of thượng sách in English

Noun

literary the best/optimal plan/course of action

Synonyms and antonyms of thượng sách

Antonyms

hạ sách

Example sentences with thượng sách

Thật thà là thượng sách. Honesty is the best policy.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 上策, composed of 上 (“upper”) and 策 (“plan”)

Frequently asked questions

What does thượng sách mean in English?

thượng sách (noun) means "the best/optimal plan/course of action".

How do you pronounce thượng sách?

IPA: Hanoi [tʰɨəŋ˧˨ʔ sajk̟̚˧˦]; Saigon [tʰɨəŋ˨˩˨ ʂat̚˦˥]. Tones: thượng — heavy tone (nặng), sách — rising tone (sắc).

Is thượng sách a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. thượng sách is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 上策.

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.