Meaning
赶上 literally means 'to hurry up and reach.' It describes successfully arriving at or catching something in time, whether that's a departing vehicle, a deadline, or matching someone's level of progress. It conveys the idea of rushing to meet a moving target.
Usage
Native speakers commonly use 赶上 for physically catching transportation (赶上火车 'catch the train') or metaphorically catching up to someone's level or progress. It often implies effort or urgency. Can also mean 'to happen to encounter' a certain time period or event (赶上好时候 'happen to encounter good times').
Examples
- 01你快点儿，不然赶不上飞机了。, .Hurry up, or you won't catch the flight.
- 02他努力学习，终于赶上了班里的其他同学。, .He studied hard and finally caught up with the other students in his class.
Characters
Common collocations
- 赶上火车to catch the train
- 赶上末班车to catch the last bus/train
- 赶不上cannot catch up with, too late for
- 赶上好时候to happen to encounter good times
Antonyms
Origin
The verb 赶 originally meant 'to drive (animals)' or 'to hurry,' while 上 adds the directional sense of 'reaching' or 'boarding,' creating the meaning of successfully reaching something through hurried effort.