<p>"above/over the bed" can be translated as "在床的上面" or "在床的上方" without any ambiguity.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-04T00:09:51.730Z
Could you expand this answer a bit? Answers are better when they provide more than just a simple one-line answer.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T01:54:14.187Z
it still has some ambiguity. Think 人在床上面 and 挂在床上方.
Alex Chen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-13T22:11:12.547Z
2011-12-13T22:11:12.547Z
Frank
<p>I would suggest you need to add more context such as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>挂在床上<br>
   <em>Hanging over the bed</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>or</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>漂在床上<br>
  <em>Hovering (floating) over the bed</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Even in English above the bed still requires more info to make a complete sentence. I think the context is important here.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-30T03:57:29.520Z
I agree with you. It is the context that helps differentiates the two.
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T03:40:01.937Z
2012-08-18T21:49:48.173Z
2012-08-18T21:49:48.173Z
going
<p>It's touched by the other answers but not as explicit: in Chinese, disambiguation is mostly done by nouns/verbs rather than prepositions. So the answer is to use distinctive verbs depending on the context: 躺在床上(边/面) vs. 挂在床上(边/面/方) vs. 悬在床上(边/面/方). (躺在床上方 is also correct but against idiom.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-30T08:25:52.320Z
2012-07-30T08:25:52.320Z
NS.X.
<p>There may not be a definitive way to convey these differences. </p>

<p>"在床上" is "on the bed", to really eliminate the ambiguity, you could say "就在床面上" ("right on the surface of the bed") or "就在床单上" ("right on the sheets of the bed").</p>

<p>And use "在床的上方" to say "above the bed", or more specifically, "就在床上方的空气里" ("right in the thin air above the bed").</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T00:02:00.760Z
2011-12-14T00:02:00.760Z
Flake
<p>I would use 上 or 以上 for on top or (immediately) above, and 之上 or 上方 for over (more remote).</p>

<p>上面 refers to a surface, e.g. the top of a table or bed.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-18T18:29:00.467Z
2012-08-18T21:50:08.813Z
2012-08-18T21:50:08.813Z
Tom Au
<p>If I wanted to translate the prepositional phrase "on the bed" to Chinese, I know to say "床上", but I don't know what the translation would be for saying "above/over the bed".</p>

<p>From what I can gather, 上 is used for both "on" and "over". Is there another word that removes the ambiguity, or some modifier?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-18T18:29:29.403Z
@drHannibalLecter: See my attempt to address your point below.
Tom Au
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-13T21:55:25.360Z
Perhaps one of these is correct: 上边, 以上, or 上面. Let's see if someone will enlighten us! :)
dr Hannibal Lecter
<word-choice><preposition><ambiguity>
How to differentiate between "On Top" and "Above"
# How to differentiate between "On Top" and "Above"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-13)

If I wanted to translate the prepositional phrase "on the bed" to Chinese, I know to say "床上", but I don't know what the translation would be for saying "above/over the bed".

From what I can gather, 上 is used for both "on" and "over". Is there another word that removes the ambiguity, or some modifier?

**Tags:** word-choice, preposition, ambiguity

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Perhaps one of these is correct: 上边, 以上, or 上面. Let's see if someone will enlighten us! :)  
> **username_1**: @username_2: See my attempt to address your point below.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2011-12-13. Score: 15

"above/over the bed" can be translated as "在床的上面" or "在床的上方" without any ambiguity.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: it still has some ambiguity. Think 人在床上面 and 挂在床上方.  
> **username_4**: Could you expand this answer a bit? Answers are better when they provide more than just a simple one-line answer.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2011-12-14. Score: 8

I would suggest you need to add more context such as:

> 挂在床上  
> *Hanging over the bed*

or

> 漂在床上  
> *Hovering (floating) over the bed*

Even in English above the bed still requires more info to make a complete sentence. I think the context is important here.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: I agree with you. It is the context that helps differentiates the two.  

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### Answer by username_8 on 2012-07-30. Score: 5

It's touched by the other answers but not as explicit: in Chinese, disambiguation is mostly done by nouns/verbs rather than prepositions. So the answer is to use distinctive verbs depending on the context: 躺在床上(边/面) vs. 挂在床上(边/面/方) vs. 悬在床上(边/面/方). (躺在床上方 is also correct but against idiom.)


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### Answer by username_9 on 2011-12-14. Score: 5

There may not be a definitive way to convey these differences.

"在床上" is "on the bed", to really eliminate the ambiguity, you could say "就在床面上" ("right on the surface of the bed") or "就在床单上" ("right on the sheets of the bed").

And use "在床的上方" to say "above the bed", or more specifically, "就在床上方的空气里" ("right in the thin air above the bed").


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### Answer by username_1 on 2012-08-18. Score: 3

I would use 上 or 以上 for on top or (immediately) above, and 之上 or 上方 for over (more remote).

上面 refers to a surface, e.g. the top of a table or bed.


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