底层

• Pinyin: dǐ céng
• Hanzi breakdown: 底 = 广 + 氐 (base/bottom); 层 = 尸 + 云 (layer, floor)

Meaning

Bottom layer; ground floor; lower social stratum. Either the literal lowest level of a structure, or the lowest socioeconomic class in society.

Has both a concrete sense (the ground floor of a building, the lowest geological stratum) and an important social sense referring to people living in poverty or with limited social capital. In social discourse, 底层民众 or 底层社会 refers to marginalised or disadvantaged populations. A sensitive term in discussions of inequality.

Examples

1. 这部小说从底层劳动者的视角出发，深刻揭示了社会结构的不平等与阶层固化问题。 From the perspective of working people at the bottom of society, this novel powerfully reveals inequality in social structure and the hardening of class divisions.
2. 城市底层民众缺乏有效的社会保障，往往因一场疾病而陷入更深的贫困。 Lower-income urban residents often lack effective social protection and can fall into deeper poverty because of a single illness.
3. 在计算机系统架构中，底层代码的质量直接决定了整个系统的稳定性和安全性。 In computer system architecture, the quality of low-level code directly determines the stability and security of the entire system.

Usage Guide

Context: social commentary, architecture, technology, literature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 关注底层群体的生存状况是构建和谐社会的重要前提，不能忽视弱势群体的诉求。(Paying attention to the living conditions of the lower strata is an important prerequisite for building a harmonious society — the demands of vulnerable groups cannot be ignored.)
• 底层技术架构的稳健性是产品长期可靠运行的根本保障。(The robustness of the underlying technical architecture is the fundamental guarantee for a product's long-term reliable operation.)

Don't Say

• 底层人 — potentially stigmatising; prefer 底层民众, 底层劳动者, or 弱势群体 in formal or empathetic contexts to avoid dehumanising connotations

Origin & History

底 (bottom/base) + 层 (layer/stratum)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal