Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
曾 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now

曾 Stroke Order — How to Write 曾

Stroke Order

曾 is written in 12 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 曰, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

曾 Radical and Character Components

Partial breakdown of 曾:丷日

曾 is an ideographic compound. A rice cooker on heat 日, building up steam 丷 and letting it off.

Radical: 曰 + 8 more strokes

曾 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • zēng
  • céng

Meanings of 曾 in Chinese

1

zēng曾

Refers to a relative two generations removed, such as a great-grandparent or great-grandchild.
我的曾祖父是一位慈祥的老人。
My great-grandfather is a kind old man.
To increase; to add; synonymous with '增' (zēng).
这无疑曾添了他们的负担。
This undoubtedly added to their burden.
When pronounced 'zēng', '曾' emphasizes an unexpected or surprisingly low degree, often in negative constructions, meaning "even," "actually," or "simply." It highlights an inability or a failure to achieve something that might seem basic or expected. For instance, in "以君之力曾不能损魁父之丘," it implies "with your strength, you couldn't even damage the hill."
这么简单的任务，他曾不能完成。
Such a simple task, he couldn't even complete it.
2

céng曾

Used to; have experienced, indicating something that happened in the past.
我曾经去过那个美丽的城市。
I once visited that beautiful city.
Layered; stacked; forming strata.
这块岩石呈现出曾层的纹理。
This rock displays layered textures.

Common Words and Phrases with 曾

1
céng曾jǐ几hé何shí时
Not long ago; in what a surprisingly short period of time.
曾几何时，这里只是一片普通的居民区，如今已成为繁华的商业中心。
Not long ago, this was just an ordinary residential area, but now it has become a bustling commercial center.
2
céng曾jīng经
Used before a verb to indicate an action or state that occurred or existed at some point in the past; once; formerly.
我曾经去过那个美丽的公园。
I once visited that beautiful park.
3
céng曾jīng经cāng沧hǎi海
Having experienced something profound or magnificent, one no longer finds ordinary things impressive or noteworthy.
她曾经沧海，所以面对眼前的困境，她显得格外从容不迫。
She has experienced much of life's changes, so when facing the current difficulties, she appears exceptionally calm and composed.
4
zēng曾sūn孙
A great-grandson; the son of one's grandson.
老王很喜欢带着他的曾孙在公园散步。
Old Wang enjoys taking his great-grandson for a walk in the park.
5
zēng曾sūn孙nǚ女
great-granddaughter
老人看着自己的曾孙女玩耍，脸上洋溢着幸福的笑容。
The old man watched his great-granddaughter play, a happy smile beaming on his face.
6
zēng曾zǔ祖
great-grandfather
我的曾祖活了九十多岁，身体一直很好。
My great-grandfather lived for over ninety years and always had good health.
7
zēng曾zǔ祖mǔ母
great-grandmother
我的曾祖母非常长寿，活到了九十多岁。
My great-grandmother was very long-lived, living to over ninety years old.

More words with 曾

Idioms with 曾

Recommended tools

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Questions about 曾

What does 曾 mean in Chinese?

曾 (zēng) means “To increase” in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 曾?

曾 has 2 pronunciations: zēng, céng.

How many strokes does 曾 have?

曾 has 12 strokes.

How do you write 曾?

曾 is written in 12 strokes, starting from the radical 曰. See the animated stroke order on this page.

What is the radical of 曾?

The radical of 曾 is 曰, and 曾 is an ideographic compound.