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层次 (céng cì) — level, layer, tier (in a hierarchy or structure); arrangement, organization (of ideas, content); standing, quality (of a person's character or taste)

Definition

层次 is a noun meaning the layers/levels in a hierarchy or the arrangement of ideas — more abstract than the measure word 层. Compared to 条理, it emphasizes depth and gradation rather than just clear order.

noun
levellayertier (in a hierarchy or structure)arrangementorganization (of ideas, content)standingquality (of a person's character or taste)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 层次，。
    Shè huì céng cì bù tóng de rén, xiǎng fǎ yě huì bù tóng.
    People at different social levels have different ways of thinking.
  • 层次，。
    Zhè piān lùn wén de céng cì hěn qīng chǔ, dú qǐ lái hěn shū fu.
    The organization of this paper is very clear; it reads smoothly.
  • 层次，。
    Tā shuō huà hěn yǒu céng cì, yí kàn jiù shì yǒu wén huà de rén.
    He speaks with great refinement — you can tell he's an educated person.

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cénglayer
次cìorder

层 and 次 both indicate levels or order, so the word means layers or levels.

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 →

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

The old form of 次 shows a person exhaling, with the marks above the figure representing breath.

Open 次 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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