The character 曾 — “once”: how to write it and what it means
once, formerly
The Chinese character 曾 is read céng and means “once, formerly”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 曾
曾 has 12 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 曾, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 曾 is made of
As a surname it's read zēng. It hints at the sound of 增 zēng.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 曾
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 曾?
曾 has 12 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 曾 mean?
曾 means “once, formerly”. It appears in 曾经 (“once”), 不曾 (“never”).
How do you pronounce 曾?
曾 is read céng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 曾 have?
12 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 曾 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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