曾

See also: 曽 and 會

曾 U+66FE, 曾 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-66FE ← 曽 [U+66FD] CJK Unified Ideographs 替 → [U+66FF]

Translingual

Stroke order

Traditional	曾
Simplified	曾
Japanese	曽
Korean	曾

Alternative forms

When used in Korea or as a Japanese kyūjitai character, the upper component is 八 instead of 丷, which is also the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary.

Han character

曾 (Kangxi radical 73, 曰+8, 12 strokes, cangjie input 金田日 (CWA), four-corner 8060₆, composition ⿱丷𭥴(GHT) or ⿱八𭥴(JKV))

Derived characters

• 僧 噌 增 嶒 憎 㬝 橧 潧 熷 璔 㽪 䁬 矰 磳 竲 繒(缯) 䙢 譄(𬤤) 贈(赠) 蹭 鏳(𲈜) 驓(𫘯) 䰝 鱛 㬟 㣒 甑 䎖 䒏 鄫 朆 䆵 䉕 罾 鬙 層
• 𡡑 𢅋 𢐞 𢴣 𤛢 𤾥 𥢥 𦒗 𦠇 𧯒 𧲅 𨲯 𪒟 𪙭 𥃙 𣯿 𠟂 𢎒 𢨉 𧢐 𧸑 𣍎 𤺧 𡪠 𡼳 𦌝 𦌘 𦌛 𦼏 𤎯 𤎰
• 𭂡 𮔿 𭙇 𬯣 𬛫 𮓆 𭨟 𬁮 𬁭 𭍳

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 503, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14299
• Dae Jaweon: page 877, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1521, character 3
• Unihan data for U+66FE

Chinese

simp. and trad.		曾
alternative forms		曽

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 曾
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (曾) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
潧	*ʔsrɯn
繒	*ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ
增	*ʔsɯːŋ, *ʔsɯːŋs
憎	*ʔsɯːŋ
磳	*ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ
曾	*ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯːŋ
矰	*ʔsɯːŋ
罾	*ʔsɯːŋ
熷	*ʔsɯːŋ
竲	*ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ
橧	*ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ
譄	*ʔsɯːŋ
蹭	*sʰɯːŋs
層	*zɯːŋ
贈	*zɯːŋs
僧	*sɯːŋ
鬙	*sɯːŋ
甑	*ʔsɯŋs
鄫	*zɯŋ
驓	*zɯŋ
嶒	*zɯŋ
噌	*sʰɯːŋ
鏳	*zrɯːŋ

Pictogram (象形) – a cooker for steaming food. The derivative 甑 (OC *ʔsɯŋs) refers to the original word.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): céng (ceng²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄘㄥˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cang⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): tang³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhèn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): cên²

• Eastern Min (BUC): cèng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chêng / chn̂g / cheng / chan

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zêng⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶zen

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: céng
    • Zhuyin: ㄘㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: céng
    • Wade–Giles: tsʻêng²
    • Yale: tséng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tserng
    • Palladius: цэн (cɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɤŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cang⁴
    • Yale: chàhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsang⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐŋ²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: tang³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaŋ²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhèn
    • Hakka Romanization System: cenˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cen²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰen¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cên²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɛn¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛiŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chêng
    • Tâi-lô: tsîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zeeng
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ²³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chn̂g
    • Tâi-lô: tsn̂g
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zngg
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sŋ̍²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cheng
    • Tâi-lô: tsing
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zefng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chan
    • Tâi-lô: tsan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zafn
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡san⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: zêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡seŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶zen
    • MiniDict: zen^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zen
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zən²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: dzong

Rime
Character	曾
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	從 (15)
Final (韻)	登 (129)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	昨楞切
Baxter	dzong
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡zəŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡zəŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡zəŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡zəŋ/
Li Rong	/d͡zəŋ/
Wang Li	/d͡zəŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/d͡zʱəŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	céng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cang4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[dz]ˤəŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*zɯːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	曾
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	céng
Middle Chinese	‹ dzong ›
Old Chinese	/*[dz]ˁəŋ/
English	(adverb indicating past time)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	曾
Reading #	2/2
No.	16625
Phonetic component	曾
Rime group	蒸
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*zɯːŋ/

Definitions

曾

1. already; ever; once (in the past); previously
2. Alternative form of 層／层 (céng)

Synonyms

• (already):

• 上早 (Hakka)
• 以前 (yǐqián)
• 先前 (xiānqián)
• 先行 (xiānxíng) (literary)
• 其先 (qíxiān) (literary)
• 前往 (qiánwǎng) (literary)
• 原在 (Hakka)
• 古者 (gǔzhě) (archaic)
• 向來／向来 (xiànglái) (archaic)
• 嘗／尝 (cháng) (literary, or used in compounds)
• 在前 (zàiqián)
• 家先 (Hakka)
• 往擺／往摆 (Hakka, Hokkien)
• 往擺仔／往摆仔 (Hokkien)
• 往者 (wǎngzhě) (literary)
• 往過／往过 (Hokkien)
• 往過仔／往过仔 (Hokkien)
• 從前／从前 (cóngqián)
• 早先 (zǎoxiān)
• 早年所 (Hokkien)
• 早時／早时 (Hokkien)
• 昔日 (xīrì) (literary)
• 昔時／昔时 (xīshí) (literary)
• 曾經／曾经 (céngjīng)
• 當初／当初 (dāngchū)
• 舊擺／旧摆 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 舊早／旧早 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 過前／过前 (Hainanese)

 

Compounds

• 不曾 (bùcéng)
• 也曾
• 何曾
• 似曾相識／似曾相识 (sìcéngxiāngshí)
• 似曾相識／似曾相识 (sìcéngxiāngshí)
• 幾曾／几曾 (jǐcéng)
• 得未曾有 (déwèicéngyǒu)
• 曾幾何時／曾几何时 (céngjǐhéshí)
• 曾經／曾经 (céngjīng)
• 曾經滄海／曾经沧海 (céngjīngcānghǎi)
• 未曾 (wèicéng)
• 阿曾

 

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: từng (“once”)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zēng (zeng¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄥ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zang¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): dang¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chên

  (Meixian, Guangdong): zên¹

• Eastern Min (BUC): cĕng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chan / cheng / chng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zêng¹ / zang¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹tsen

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zēng
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zeng
    • Wade–Giles: tsêng¹
    • Yale: dzēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzeng
    • Palladius: цзэн (czɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɤŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zang¹
    • Yale: jāng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: zeng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: dang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taŋ³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chên
    • Hakka Romanization System: zen´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zen¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sen²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: zên¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sɛn⁴⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cĕng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛiŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chan
    • Tâi-lô: tsan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zafn
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡san³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡san⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cheng
    • Tâi-lô: tsing
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zefng
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chng
    • Tâi-lô: tsng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zngf
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sŋ̍³³/

Note:

• cheng/chng - literary;
• chan - vernacular (including surname).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: zêng¹ / zang¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tseng / tsang
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡seŋ³³/, /t͡saŋ³³/

Note: zang1 - surname.

• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ¹tsen
    • MiniDict: tsen^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tsen
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sən⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsong

Rime
Character	曾
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	登 (129)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	作滕切
Baxter	tsong
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡səŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡səŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡səŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡səŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡səŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡səŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡səŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zēng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zang1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ts]ˤəŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsɯːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	曾
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zēng
Middle Chinese	‹ tsong ›
Old Chinese	/*[ts]ˁəŋ/
English	remote (ancestor)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	曾
Reading #	1/2
No.	16616
Phonetic component	曾
Rime group	蒸
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*ʔsɯːŋ/
Notes	朱芳圃云爲甑初文， 非形聲字

Definitions

曾

1. (prefix) great-

   曾孫／曾孙  ―  zēngsūn  ―  great-grandson

2. (literary) unexpectedly

   • 誰謂河廣？曾不容刀。
     誰謂宋遠？曾不崇朝。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     谁谓河广？曾不容刀。
     谁谓宋远？曾不崇朝。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Shéi wèi Hé guǎng? Zēng bù róng dāo.
     Shéi wèi Sòng yuǎn? Zēng bù chóngzhāo. [Pinyin]

     Who says that the He is wide?
     It will not admit a little boat.
     Who says that Song is distant?
     It would not take a whole morning to reach it.

3. (literary) Alternative form of 增 (zēng, “to increase”)
4. a surname: Zeng

   曾國藩／曾国藩  ―  Zēng Guófān  ―  Zeng Guofan (Chinese statesman and military general of the Qing dynasty)

Descendants

• → English: Tseng, Zeng, Chan, Tsang

Compounds

• 可曾 (kěcéng)
• 曾劉／曾刘 (Zēngliú)
• 曾參殺人／曾参杀人 (Zēng Shēn shārén)
• 曾子 (Zēngzǐ)
• 曾子殺彘／曾子杀彘
• 曾孫／曾孙 (zēngsūn)
• 曾母投杼
• 曾母暗沙 (Zēngmǔ Ànshā)
• 曾益 (zēngyì)
• 曾祖 (zēngzǔ)
• 曾祖母 (zēngzǔmǔ)
• 曾祖父 (zēngzǔfù)
• 曾都 (Zēngdū)
• 曾門／曾门
• 高曾規矩／高曾规矩

 

References

• “曾”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Shinjitai	曽
Kyūjitai	曾

Kanji

曾

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 曽)

1. great-

Readings

• Go-on: ぞう (zō)
• Kan-on: そう (sō)
• Kan’yō-on: ぞ (zo); そ (so)
• Kun: かつて (katsute, 曾て); すなわち (sunawachi, 曾ち)
• Nanori: かつ (katsu); つね (tsune)

Korean

Hanja

曾 • (jeung) (hangeul 증, revised jeung, McCune–Reischauer chŭng, Yale cung)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

曾: Hán Việt readings: tằng, tăng
曾: Nôm readings: tâng, tơn, tưng, từng

1. (archaic) chữ Hán form of tằng (“great-”).
2. Nôm form of từng (“once, ever, already, formerly”).

References

• Nom Foundation