TongTong
Sign in

下层 (xià céng) — lower level; lower stratum (in society, organizations, or physical layers)

Definition

Lower level or stratum, used both socially (下层社会) and physically (lower shelf, floor). Pairs naturally with 社会/人民 for underclass and with 建筑/书架 for literal layers.

noun
lower levellower stratum (in society, organizations, or physical layers)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 下层。
    Zhè ge gōng sī de xià céng yuán gōng gōng zuò hěn xīn kǔ.
    The lower-level employees of this company work very hard.
  • 下层。
    Shè huì xià céng de rén gèng xū yào bāng zhù.
    People in the lower strata of society need more help.
  • 下层。
    Wǒ men bǎ jiù shū dōu fàng zài xià céng de shū jià shàng.
    We put all the old books on the lower shelf.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

下xiàlower
层cénglayer

下 (lower) + 层 (layer) means a lower level or stratum.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →
Appears in
Society & Public Life

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.