层

• Pinyin: céng
• Hanzi breakdown: 层 — simplified from 層; phonetic component 曾 (céng) suggests pronunciation

Meaning

Floor; layer; story. A measure word used for floors of buildings and layers of things.

Used to count floors of a building or layers of something stacked. Can also be used abstractly for levels of meaning or depth. Very common in giving directions inside buildings.

Examples

1. 我家住在五层。 My family lives on the fifth floor.
2. 这个蛋糕有三层。 This cake has three layers.
3. 请坐电梯到十二层。 Please take the elevator to the twelfth floor.

Usage Guide

Context: buildings, directions, descriptions

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 我们公司在八层。(Our company is on the eighth floor.)
• 这个柜子有四层。(This cabinet has four shelves.)

Don't Say

• In mainland China, 一层 is the ground floor. Do not confuse with the British convention where 'first floor' means one above ground level.

Origin & History

Originally written 層. Composed of 尸 (enclosure radical) and the phonetic component 曾 (once, layers). Simplification reduced the form.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal