倍增 (bèi zēng) — to double, to redouble | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

倍增 emphasizes the process of multiplying several times, not just doubling once. Compare 加倍 (also "double," but more colloquial and can modify an adjective like 加倍努力) and 翻番 (used for hitting a specific multiple target, e.g. 产量翻一番).

verb

to doubleto redouble

Examples

，倍增。
Tōng guò bú duàn xué xí, tā de zhī shi bèi zēng le.
Through continuous learning, his knowledge doubled.
倍增。
Xīn shè bèi shǐ shēng chǎn xiào lǜ bèi zēng.
The new equipment doubled production efficiency.
倍增。
Tuán duì hé zuò ràng wǒ men de chéng guǒ bèi zēng.
Team collaboration multiplied our results.

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.

倍bèifold/double

增zēngincrease

“倍” means by multiples, and “增” means increase; together they describe a manyfold rise.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

咅

咅pǒu倍bèi

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

倍 has 人 on the left and 咅 on the right; 人 points to a person, while 咅 gives the sound.

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

土曾增

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

曾

曾céng增zēng

Same sound today

增 uses 土 (earth) to show that things grow in earth or are built from earth, and uses 曾 for the sound. This gives the sense of adding or increasing.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Math

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.