層 meaning and stroke order
Layer, floor, story, stratum
How to write 層, 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 層
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pile on top of one another
- layer; stratum
- floor (of a building); story
- (math.) sheaf
- classifier for layers
How 層 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Body.
尸 gives the meaning and 曾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 尸 (body), shared by 40 characters on this site.
How to remember 層
層 is pictophonetic: 尸 (a body, here a roof-like shape) gives the meaning area, and 曾 (céng) gives the sound. Picture a building roof 尸 sitting over 曾, stacked floor upon floor, and the sound céng tells you how to say it.
層 is used for floors of a building, layers of anything, and abstract levels like social class or aspect. It also works as a classifier for layers and storeys. Example: 我住在十層。(Wǒ zhù zài shí céng.) I live on the tenth floor.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 層 (céng) with its phonetic part 曾, which is read céng in 曾經 but zēng in the surname and 曾孫. Remember that only 層 with the 尸 on top means layer or floor.
Common words with 層
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 層次 | céngcì | layer; level | HSK 5 |
| 高層 | gāocéng | high-rise; high level; high class | HSK 6 |
| 層面 | céngmiàn | aspect; facet; level (political, psychological, spiritual etc) | HSK 6 |
| 底層 | dǐcéng | ground floor; first floor; lowest level; lowest rung (of society etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 階層 | jiēcéng | social class | HSK 7-9 |
| 基層 | jīcéng | basic level; grassroots unit | HSK 7-9 |
| 層出不窮 | céngchū-bùqióng | more and more emerge; innumerable succession | HSK 7-9 |
| 一層 | yīcéng | one layer; one level | |
| 大氣層 | dàqìcéng | (meteorology) the atmosphere; atmospheric layer | |
| 樓層 | lóucéng | floor; story (of a building) | |
| 雙層 | shuāngcéng | double tier; double decker | |
| 頂層 | dǐngcéng | top floor; the top of a building | |
| 上層 | shàngcéng | upper layer | |
| 雲層 | yúncéng | the clouds; cloud layer |
Questions about 層
How many strokes are in 層?
層 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 層 mean?
層 (céng) means layer, floor, story, stratum. A common word with it is 层次 (céngcì), meaning "layer; level".
How do you pronounce 層?
層 is pronounced céng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 層?
The radical of 層 is 尸, which carries the idea of "body". Dictionaries list 層 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 層?
層 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 层, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 層 and 樓 for floors?
層 counts floors or storeys, as in 五層樓 (wǔ céng lóu) a five-storey building. 樓 (lóu) refers to the building itself or a floor number in phrases like 三樓 (sān lóu) third floor. Both 三樓 and 三層 can mean the third floor in everyday speech.
What does 層出不窮 mean and when is it used?
層出不窮 (céngchū-bùqióng) means things keep appearing one after another without end. It is often used for problems, new products, or ideas, for example 新問題層出不窮 (xīn wèntí céngchū-bùqióng), new problems keep emerging.