Chinese word

曾经

Pronunciation

Pinyincéng jīng

Meaning

  • adverbonce

Example

他曾经住在北京。tā céng jīng zhù zài běi jīng

He once lived in Beijing.

Illustration for 曾经 (once)

More examples

我曾经去过上海。wǒ céng jīng qù guò shàng hǎi

I once went to Shanghai.

Core concept

A marker that places an event or state on the past timeline as something that really happened.

Common phrases

  • 曾经住在céng jīng zhù zài

    once lived in

  • 曾经去过céng jīng qù guò

    once visited

  • 曾经学过céng jīng xué guò

    once studied

Similar words

已经yǐ jīng: Shows that an action or event has happened by the relevant time.
以前yǐ qián: Refers to a time or period before a particular point in time.

Definition in Chinese

用来说明某事在过去某一阶段确实发生过或曾处于那种状态。yòng lái shuō míng mǒu shì zài guò qù mǒu yì jiē duàn què shí fā shēng guò huò céng chǔ yú nà zhǒng zhuàng tài

Word origin

曾 (céng, "once; formerly") + 经 (jīng, "pass through; undergo") links an earlier time with having passed through an earlier experience or state.

Usage tips

  • Its time span is flexible, so it can frame a past period of living, working, studying, or holding a condition rather than only one counted event.

Other meanings

  • everadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word