剧增 (jù zēng) — to increase rapidly, to surge

Definition

剧增 is an intransitive verb meaning a sudden, sharp increase — stronger and more abrupt than the everyday verb 增长. Often used in written or formal contexts for data, populations, or costs.

verb
to increase rapidlyto surge

Examples

  • ，剧增。
    Zuì jìn jǐ nián, qì chē de shù liàng jù zēng.
    In recent years, the number of cars has increased rapidly.
  • ，剧增。
    Suí zhe jīng jì fā zhǎn, chéng shì rén kǒu jù zēng.
    With economic development, the urban population has surged.
  • 剧增。
    Gōng sī de lì rùn zài yì qíng qī jiān jù zēng.
    The company's profits increased tremendously during the pandemic.

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.

剧jùintense
增zēngincrease

剧 gives a sense of intense change, and 增 means increase, so the whole means to increase sharply.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →

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
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.

Open 增 →

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