Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen zǒu lóutī shànglóu, bù zuò diàntī. - We go upstairs by the stairs and don’t take the elevator.

走楼梯 literally = “walk (using) the stairs.” You physically walk, so 走 (“to walk, to go on foot”) is used.
坐电梯 literally = “sit (in) the elevator.” You stand inside a moving device and let it carry you, so Chinese uses 坐 (“to sit, to ride in/ on a vehicle”).

This pattern shows up elsewhere:

坐公交车 – ride the bus
坐地铁 – take the subway
走路回家 – walk home

So 走楼梯 and 坐电梯 are the normal, idiomatic pair. You normally would not say 坐楼梯 or 走电梯.

What is the structure of 我们走楼梯上楼? Why is the order “walk stairs go-up” instead of something else?

我们走楼梯上楼 follows a common pattern:

Subject + Verb + (Route / Means) + Directional Complement

Breakdown:

我们 – subject (“we”)
走 – verb (“walk”)
楼梯 – route / means (“the stairs”)
上楼 – directional complement (“go upstairs / go up to a higher floor”)

So it literally means: “We walk (using) the stairs to go up.”

The order is: how you move (走), by what route (楼梯), in what direction (上楼). Reordering it (e.g. 我们上楼走楼梯) sounds unnatural or wrong.

What exactly does 上楼 mean, and how is it different from 楼上?

上楼 is a verb phrase: “to go upstairs / go up (to another floor).”
- e.g. 我们走楼梯上楼。 – We go upstairs by the stairs.
楼上 is a location noun: “upstairs (the place upstairs).”
- e.g. 他在楼上。 – He is upstairs.

You can’t usually swap them:

✗ 我们走楼梯楼上 – incorrect
✓ 我们走楼梯上楼 – correct

Think 上楼 = go upstairs, 楼上 = upstairs (location).

Why is there no word for “the” in 楼梯 and 电梯? Why not something like “the stairs” or “the elevator”?

Chinese normally has no articles like “a / the”.

楼梯 can mean “stairs / the stairs / a set of stairs” depending on context.
电梯 can mean “elevator / the elevator / an elevator.”

If the context is clear (you’re in a building and obviously referring to those stairs and that elevator), just 楼梯 and 电梯 are enough. You only add something extra if you really need to be specific, e.g. 那部电梯 (“that elevator unit”).

Why is 不 used and not 没 in 不坐电梯? Aren’t they both “not / no”?

不 and 没 are different kinds of negation:

不 is used for general, habitual, or planned actions, and for present / future:
- 我们不坐电梯。 – We don’t (won’t) take the elevator (by choice / rule).
没 is used for past or completed actions (“didn’t / haven’t”):
- 我们没坐电梯。 – We didn’t take the elevator (this time / in the past).

Here the sentence is about what we choose to do (habit or decision), not about reporting a past fact, so 不坐电梯 is correct.

Does this sentence mean present or future? How can “我们走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。” mean “we’ll take the stairs”?

Chinese doesn’t mark tense the same way English does. The bare form can cover present, future, or general habits.

我们走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。 can mean:

“We take the stairs and don’t use the elevator” (general habit / rule), or
“(Let’s) take the stairs up; we won’t use the elevator” (decision about what we’re about to do).

The exact time (now / later / habit) is understood from context, or you can add time words:

现在我们走楼梯上楼。 – Now we’ll go up by stairs.
以后我们都走楼梯上楼。 – From now on we’ll always take the stairs.

Could I say 我们不上电梯，走楼梯上楼 instead? Is that correct, and is there any difference?

Yes, 我们不上电梯，走楼梯上楼。 is grammatically correct.

我们走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。
- Focus: “We (choose to) take the stairs up, not ride the elevator.”
我们不上电梯，走楼梯上楼。
- Word order puts the refusal of the elevator first: “We won’t take the elevator; we’ll go up by the stairs.”

Meaning is basically the same; it’s just a slight difference in emphasis and rhythm. The original sentence is the more common and straightforward order.

Why is there no measure word, like 一部电梯 or 一段楼梯? Do we need one here?

You only need a measure word when you specify a number (one elevator, two flights of stairs, etc.).

With a number:
- 一部电梯 – one elevator
- 两段楼梯 – two flights of stairs
Without a number, you simply use the noun:
- 坐电梯 – take the elevator
- 走楼梯 – take the stairs

In 我们走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯, we’re not counting them; we’re just talking about using stairs vs elevator in general, so no measure words are needed.

Could we add 在 to make it progressive, like 我们在走楼梯上楼? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, 我们在走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。 is also correct, but it shifts the meaning slightly:

我们走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。
- Neutral: can describe a general choice, plan, or narration.
我们在走楼梯上楼，不坐电梯。
- Emphasizes the ongoing action right now: “We are (in the middle of) going upstairs by the stairs, not using the elevator.”

So 在 + verb adds a progressive “be doing” feeling. In many contexts, the simple form without 在 is enough.

How is 不 pronounced here? Should it be bù or bú before 坐?

Tone sandhi rules say:

不 changes from bù (4th tone) to bú (2nd tone) before another 4th tone.

坐 (zuò) is 4th tone, so in natural speech:

不坐电梯 is usually pronounced bú zuò diàntī.

Many textbooks still write 不坐 (with 4th tone) but expect you to apply the sandhi when speaking. So:

Written: 不坐电梯
Spoken: bú zuò diàntī.

Is there any difference between 走楼梯上楼 and 走楼梯上去?

Both are acceptable but have slightly different focuses:

走楼梯上楼
- Explicit that you are going to an upper floor (楼).
走楼梯上去
- Uses 上去, a general “go up (away from the speaker)” directional complement. It doesn’t explicitly mention “floor,” just “go up (there).”

In a building context they often amount to the same thing, but 上楼 is a bit more specific about “upstairs / to a higher floor,” while 上去 just emphasizes the upward movement.