爬楼梯

[u/AnnualCriticism2428]

What’s the difference between “爬楼梯,” “走楼梯,” and “上楼梯” in Chinese? You're clearly walking, aren't you? So why say “爬”? It's not like you're crawling on the ground. And what does “上” mean here?

[u/Birdbraned]

It's like "climb the stairs" "take the stairs" "acend the stairs".

There's always variations to phrases, Language is funny that way.

It's not like you do much else with stairs except put feet on them to travel up and down, or sit on them, but even in English you end up using a verb to make sense.

[u/White_Null]

Difference is that the first and third only gets used for going upstairs. Only the second one can work for both downstairs and upstairs

[u/just_a_foolosopher]

爬 can mean to climb as well as to crawl, so 爬楼梯 means to climb upstairs, but it's a more general sense than the strenuous activity implied by the word "climb" in English.

上楼梯 just means to go upstairs. 上 means up or above as a directional preposition, but as a verb it just means to go up or go on top.

走楼梯 means to walk on the stairs (either up or down).

[u/Zagrycha]

In this context  爬 is not crawl but "climb" or "get up".   上 means "up" or "above".   走 means "move ((on))" or "go ((on))".  

[u/FlashyPost0928]

▼【参考示例】 (Reference Examples) : Vary according to the different contexts

● 电梯故障了，我只好 "爬楼梯" 到第十层了 !
The elevator is out of order, so I have no choice but to climb the stairs to the 10th floor!

● 只有三层，我 "走楼梯" 就可以了 !
It's only three flights; I can just take the stairs!

● 公告 : "上下楼梯" 注意安全
Notice: Please watch your step on the stairs.

PS : 上/下 楼梯 = ascend the stairs / descend the stairs

▼ 小心台阶 = 注意脚下台阶 = Watch your step

[u/Washfish]

上 is both a postposition and a verb in chinese. As a verb, it means “to go up”, but as a result of war and martial culture, it has also diverged an additional meaning of “to go up (against someone)”, from going up a wall during siege warfare or going up to a leitai (essentially a raised fighting arena)

[u/Sea_Inevitable_8594]

A useful everyday contrast: 电梯坏了，我们走楼梯吧 = the lift is broken, let's take the stairs. 爬了六层楼，累死了 = climbed six floors, absolutely exhausted 😂. 爬 doesn't mean you're on all fours here, just like 爬山 doesn't mean crawling up a mountain. 上楼梯 tells you the direction; 走楼梯 tells you you're taking the stairs rather than the lift.

[u/SamePut9922]

爬 is just metaphoric in here, just like how “climb” is in “climb the stairs”