层 (céng) — to pile on top of one another in Mandarin
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#1343 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
层 is pronounced céng. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhè dòng lóu yǒu shí céng.
This building has ten stories.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 层 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 层 mean?+
层 (céng) means "to pile on top of one another" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 层?+
层 is pronounced céng. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 层 in Mandarin?+
层 is the #1343 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 层 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.