增 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) to increase; to augment; to add to
How to write 增, stroke by stroke
15 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 增
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to increase; to augment; to add to
How 增 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning and 曾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 增
增 is made of 土 (earth) on the left and 曾 (céng) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture piling more earth onto a mound, layer by layer, to make it bigger.
增 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 增加 (zēngjiā), 增长 (zēngzhǎng), and 增强 (zēngqiáng). It is common in news, business, and formal writing. Example: 收入增加了。(Shōurù zēngjiā le.) Income has increased.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 增 with 赠 (zèng, to give as a gift), which has 贝 instead of 土 and a fourth tone. Also, 增 is first tone zēng, not céng like its phonetic part 曾.
Common words with 增
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 增加 | zēngjiā | to raise; to increase | HSK 3 |
| 增长 | zēngzhǎng | to grow; to increase | HSK 3 |
| 增强 | zēngqiáng | to increase; to strengthen | HSK 5 |
| 增大 | zēngdà | to enlarge; to amplify | HSK 5 |
| 增多 | zēngduō | to increase; to grow in number | HSK 5 |
| 增产 | zēngchǎn | to increase production | HSK 5 |
| 增进 | zēngjìn | to promote; to enhance | HSK 6 |
| 增值 | zēngzhí | to appreciate (financially); to increase in value | HSK 6 |
| 增添 | zēngtiān | to add; to increase | HSK 7-9 |
| 增收 | zēngshōu | to increase revenue; to increase income by (x amount) | HSK 7-9 |
| 与日俱增 | yǔrì-jùzēng | to increase steadily; to grow with each passing day | HSK 7-9 |
| 增援 | zēngyuán | to reinforce | |
| 激增 | jīzēng | to increase rapidly; to shoot up |
增 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 增
How many strokes are in 增?
增 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 增 mean?
增 (zēng) means (bound form) to increase; to augment; to add to. A common word with it is 增加 (zēngjiā), meaning "to raise; to increase".
How do you pronounce 增?
增 is pronounced zēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 增?
The radical of 增 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 增 under this radical.
Is 增 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 增 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 增加 and 增长?
增加 (zēngjiā) is a general word for adding to a number or amount, and it can take an object, as in 增加人数. 增长 (zēngzhǎng) focuses on growth over time, like 经济增长 (economic growth), and usually does not take a direct object.
Can 增 be used alone as a verb?
In everyday speech, no. You would say 增加 instead. Alone it mostly appears in set phrases or formal written styles, such as 有增无减 (yǒu zēng wú jiǎn), only increasing and never decreasing.