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层出不穷 (céng chū bù qióng) — (idiom) to emerge in an endless stream; to appear one after another without end

Definition

Idiom for things 'emerging one after another without end,' often problems or new items. 络绎不绝 focuses on people/vehicles coming and going; 源源不断 is more general (any continuous flow, often of abstract things).

idiom
to emerge in an endless streamto appear one after another without end

Examples

  • 层出不穷。
    Xīn shí dài de kē jì fā míng céng chū bù qióng.
    Technological inventions in the new era are emerging one after another.
  • 层出不穷，。
    Xiǎo qū lǐ de gè zhǒng wèn tí céng chū bù qióng, xū yào jǐn kuài jiě jué.
    All kinds of problems in the neighborhood keep emerging and need to be solved quickly.
  • ，层出不穷。
    Jìn nián lái, yōu xiù de wén xué zuò pǐn céng chū bù qióng.
    In recent years, excellent literary works have been appearing in endless succession.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

层出emerge in layers
层cénglayer出chūemerge
偏正Modifier + head
不穷not exhaust
不bùnot穷qióngexhaust
偏正Modifier + head

‘层出’ says things emerge layer by layer and ‘不穷’ says there is no end; together they mean endless emergence.

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 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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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 窮; 穷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave; nest; confinement
Sound part声符shēngfú
躬
躬gōng窮qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 窮, 穴 (cave; nest; confinement) gives the sense and 躬 gives the sound; this is about 窮, not the simplified 穷.

Open 穷 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set Phrases

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