Chinese word

层

Pronunciation

Pinyincéng

Meaning

  • nounfloor

Example

我住在三层。wǒ zhù zài sān céng

I live on the third floor.

Illustration for 层 (floor)

More examples

这栋楼有二十层。zhè dòng lóu yǒu èr shí céng

This building has twenty floors.

Core concept

A horizontal tier in a stack, building, or ordered system, with other tiers above or below it.

Common phrases

  • 第三层dì sān céng

    third floor

  • 第十层dì shí céng

    tenth floor

  • 几层jǐ céng

    which floor

Similar words

楼lóu: A floor of a building, commonly used when stating where something is.
楼层lóu céng: A specific building floor or the area belonging to that floor.

Definition in Chinese

表示上下分层的结构或顺序，可指建筑的楼层，也可指抽象的层次、等级或阶段。biǎo shì shàng xià fēn céng de jié gòu huò shùn xù kě zhǐ jiàn zhù de lóu céng yě kě zhǐ chōu xiàng de céng cì děng jí huò jiē duàn

Word origin

The character 层 (céng, "layer") is a simplified form of an older written form used for stacked tiers, so its history connects physical layers with ordered stages.

Usage tips

  • In building addresses, 层 (céng, "floor") follows the number: 三层 (sān céng, "third floor") is compact, while 第三层 (dì sān céng, "the third floor") makes the ordinal reading explicit.

Other meanings

  • layernoun
  • levelnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word