<p>What the two entries above said is true.  </p>

<p>An addition, however, is that the simplest version, 升, is the only one of the three that can be used as a unit of measurement of liquid.</p>

<p>I've also seen both 升 and 昇 used in mens' names a lot, but 陞, not so much.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-10T14:33:38.343Z
2014-10-10T14:33:38.343Z
user6533
<p>The answer to this one turned out to be fairly straightforward (assuming the website I found is accurate). The following is quoted from <a href="http://chinese-character.info/content/195.html">this website</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>升 ① 容積的法定單位（市升與之相同），1升等於1000毫升。 
  ② 量糧食的器具，容量爲斗的十分之一。 ③ 向上，高起：升旗。 ④
  提高：升級。 
  昇 同「升」③④。 
  陞 同「升」④。 （《新華字典》第436頁左列「升」字）</p>
  
  <p>說明：「升」「昇」「陞」三字在「登」的意義上相通，以「升」為正體。「昇」本義為太陽上升，例如「旭日東昇」，用「旭日東升」也正確，需要注意的是，「歌舞昇平」似用「昇」更正式。在一些人名上，如淸代寫《長生殿》的洪昇，宋代發明活字印刷術的畢昇。「陞」，古代「升」的寫法，可用於當今書法。
  舉例： 昇──昇華，昇天，歌舞昇平，高昇。 升──毫升，升高，升堂，升班，直升機，回升，調升，提升。 陞──步步高陞，指日高陞。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, in short, it's safe to use 升 in most cases (except in some names and fixed expressions).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-21T05:41:56.380Z
You will probably never come into contact with the latter two unless you are reading literary texts.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-20T14:22:29.383Z
2012-09-20T14:22:29.383Z
Olle Linge
<p>There are some characters in Chinese which give me severe headaches, especially those that have the same pronunciation and mean more or less the same thing. </p>

<p>I have learnt three characters which are all pronounced shēng: 升, 陞 and 昇. Is there any significant difference between these characters in modern usage? I'm talking about traditional Chinese here, I don't think 陞 and 昇 are used at all in simplified Chinese.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-20T14:32:48.290Z
In simplified Chinese the characters are all written as 升.
BertR
<characters><difference>
What is the difference between 升, 陞 and 昇?
# What is the difference between 升, 陞 and 昇?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-20)

There are some characters in Chinese which give me severe headaches, especially those that have the same pronunciation and mean more or less the same thing.

I have learnt three characters which are all pronounced shēng: 升, 陞 and 昇. Is there any significant difference between these characters in modern usage? I'm talking about traditional Chinese here, I don't think 陞 and 昇 are used at all in simplified Chinese.

**Tags:** characters, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In simplified Chinese the characters are all written as 升.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-09-20. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

The answer to this one turned out to be fairly straightforward (assuming the website I found is accurate). The following is quoted from [this website](http://chinese-character.info/content/195.html):

> 升 ① 容積的法定單位（市升與之相同），1升等於1000毫升。
> ② 量糧食的器具，容量爲斗的十分之一。 ③ 向上，高起：升旗。 ④
> 提高：升級。
> 昇 同「升」③④。
> 陞 同「升」④。 （《新華字典》第436頁左列「升」字）
>
> 說明：「升」「昇」「陞」三字在「登」的意義上相通，以「升」為正體。「昇」本義為太陽上升，例如「旭日東昇」，用「旭日東升」也正確，需要注意的是，「歌舞昇平」似用「昇」更正式。在一些人名上，如淸代寫《長生殿》的洪昇，宋代發明活字印刷術的畢昇。「陞」，古代「升」的寫法，可用於當今書法。
> 舉例： 昇──昇華，昇天，歌舞昇平，高昇。 升──毫升，升高，升堂，升班，直升機，回升，調升，提升。 陞──步步高陞，指日高陞。

So, in short, it's safe to use 升 in most cases (except in some names and fixed expressions).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: You will probably never come into contact with the latter two unless you are reading literary texts.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-10-10. Score: 1

What the two entries above said is true.

An addition, however, is that the simplest version, 升, is the only one of the three that can be used as a unit of measurement of liquid.

I've also seen both 升 and 昇 used in mens' names a lot, but 陞, not so much.


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