在 … 上 (in terms of / regarding)
"When it comes to…"
- at / in在…(bound form) up上 marks an area or aspect: "in / on / when it comes to".
- at / in在to learn学习(bound form) up上，he / him他very很to make an effort努力 = "when it comes to studying, he works hard."
- A figurative "on", not a physical surface.
at / in在 + Topic + (bound form) up上，…
- at / in在…(bound form) up上 frames the domain the comment applies to.
in在work工作(aspect)上，he他very很serious认真。
- at / in在to work工作(bound form) up上，he / him他very很conscientious认真 = "at work, he's very conscientious."
Practice
At work he's very conscientious: 在工作 ____，他很认真。
在 + Topic + 上 = in terms of: 在工作上,他很认真.
Practice
在学习上 means “on top of the studying (physically)”.
It's figurative: “in terms of studying”.
Abstract, not physical
- at / in在table桌子(bound form) up上 = on the table (physical); at / in在to work工作(bound form) up上 = in terms of work (aspect).
Explore
Correct or broken?
在 X 上 frames the aspect: in terms of study, on this question.
Practice
How does 在工作上 differ from 在桌子上?
在…上 here = an aspect / domain, not a real surface.
Recap
Key idea
- at / in在 + Topic + (bound form) up上，… — "in terms of / when it comes to …"
- at / in在to learn学习(bound form) up上 · at / in在to work工作(bound form) up上 · at / in在这方面
- A figurative "on" (an aspect), not a real surface
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Prepositions.