上衣
shàng yī · HSK 3
jacket
🧥 上 (upper) + 衣 (clothing/garment) = upper garment, i.e. jacket
上 means 'upper/above' and 衣 is the classic character for clothing or garment (it originally depicted a robe with collar and sleeves). Together: the garment worn on the upper body.
上 — horizontal line above a baseline
上 is an indicative character (指事): a short stroke placed above a longer reference line shows the concept of 'above' or 'up'. The earliest oracle-bone forms used two horizontal lines for this; the modern shape added a vertical stroke for clarity. The core meaning of 'upper, above, to ascend' has stayed stable for millennia.