Meaning of 曾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- once
- already
- ever (in the past)
- former
- previously
- (past tense marker used before verb or clause)
- great- (grandfather, grandchild etc)
- surname Zeng
How to use 曾
曾 (céng) goes before a verb to say something happened in the past, and it sounds a bit more formal than 曾经 (céngjīng). It often pairs with 过 (guo) after the verb. Example: 我曾去过北京。(Wǒ céng qùguo Běijīng.) I have been to Beijing before.
Picture the bottom part 日 as a day that has already passed, with layers stacked on top like pages of past days piled up. 曾 (céng) marks something that happened back on one of those earlier days.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 曾 with 会 (huì) or 增 (zēng, to increase), which adds 土 on the left. Also remember the reading changes: it is céng for "once, before" but zēng in family words like 曾祖父 (zēngzǔfù) and in the surname Zēng.
曾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
曾 céng · once · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 曾.
| 曾经 | céngjīng | once; already |
| 不曾 | bùcéng | hasn't yet; hasn't ever |
| 似曾相识 | sìcéng-xiāngshí | déjà vu (the experience of seeing exactly the same situation a second time); seemingly fam |
| 未曾 | wèicéng | hasn't (or haven't); hasn't ever |
| 曾祖父 | zēngzǔfù | father's father's father; paternal great-grandfather |
| 曾几何时 | céngjǐhéshí | just a while before; not so long ago |
| 曾祖母 | zēngzǔmǔ | father's father's mother; paternal great-grandmother |
Questions about 曾
What does 曾 mean?
曾 (céng) means "once; already" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 曾?
曾 is made of 1 character: 曾 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 曾 an HSK word?
Yes. 曾 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 曾 and 曾经?
They mean the same thing, "once" or "previously." 曾经 (céngjīng) is more common in everyday speech, while 曾 alone feels more written or formal.
How do I say I have never done something with 曾?
Use 不曾 (bùcéng) or 未曾 (wèicéng) before the verb, as in 我未曾见过他 (wǒ wèicéng jiànguo tā), I have never met him. In casual speech people usually just say 没 (méi) plus verb plus 过 (guo).