# 曾

| 曾 | U+66FE, &#26366; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-66FE |
| ← 曽 [U+66FD] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 替 → [U+66FF] |

## Translingual

| Traditional | 曾 |
| Simplified | 曾 |
| Japanese | 曽 |
| Korean | 曾 |

### Alternative forms

When used in Korea or as a Japanese kyūjitai character, the upper component is 八 instead of 丷, which is also the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary.

### Han character

曾 (Kangxi radical 73, 曰+8, 12 strokes, cangjie input 金田日 (CWA), four-corner 8060$_6$, composition ⿱丷𭥴(GHT) or ⿱八𭥴(JKV))

#### Derived characters

* 僧 噌 增 嶒 憎 㬝 橧 潧 熷 璔 㽪 䁬 矰 磳 竲 繒(缯) 䙢 譄(𬤤) 贈(赠) 蹭 鏳(𲈜) 驓(𫘯) 䰝 鱛 㬟 㣒 甑 䎖 䒏 鄫 朆 䆵 䉕 罾 鬙 層
* 𡡑 𢅋 𢐞 𢴣 𤛢 𤾥 𥢥 𦒗 𦠇 𧯒 𧲅 𨲯 𪒟 𪙭 𥃙 𣯿 𠟂 𢎒 𢨉 𧢐 𧸑 𣍎 𤺧 𡪠 𡼳 𦌝 𦌘 𦌛 𦼏 𤎯 𤎰
* 𭂡 𮔿 𭙇 𬯣 𬛫 𮓆 𭨟 𬁮 𬁭 𭍳

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 503, character 3
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14299
* Dae Jaweon: page 877, character 2
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1521, character 3
* Unihan data for U+66FE

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 曾 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 潧 | *ʔsrɯn |
| 繒 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ |
| 增 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *ʔsɯːŋs |
| 憎 | *ʔsɯːŋ |
| 磳 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ |
| 曾 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯːŋ |
| 矰 | *ʔsɯːŋ |
| 罾 | *ʔsɯːŋ |
| 熷 | *ʔsɯːŋ |
| 竲 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ |
| 橧 | *ʔsɯːŋ, *zɯŋ |
| 譄 | *ʔsɯːŋ |
| 蹭 | *sʰɯːŋs |
| 層 | *zɯːŋ |
| 贈 | *zɯːŋs |
| 僧 | *sɯːŋ |
| 鬙 | *sɯːŋ |
| 甑 | *ʔsɯŋs |
| 鄫 | *zɯŋ |
| 驓 | *zɯŋ |
| 嶒 | *zɯŋ |
| 噌 | *sʰɯːŋ |
| 鏳 | *zrɯːŋ |
Pictogram (象形) – a cooker for steaming food. The derivative 甑 (OC *ʔsɯŋs) refers to the original word.

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): céng (ceng$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄘㄥˊ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cang$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): tang$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): chhèn
    (Hailu, HRS): cen
    (Meixian, Guangdong): cên$^2$
* Eastern Min (BUC): cèng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zeng$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): chêng / chn̂g / cheng / chan
    (Teochew, Peng'im): zêng$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$zen
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: céng
*** Zhuyin: ㄘㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: céng
*** Wade–Giles: tsʻêng$^2$
*** Yale: tséng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tserng
*** Palladius: цэн (cɛn)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɤŋ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: cang$^4$
*** Yale: chàhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsang$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ceng$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɐŋ²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: tang$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰaŋ²²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhèn
*** Hakka Romanization System: cen$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: cen$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰen¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: cen
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰen⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: cên$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɛn¹¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: cèng
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛiŋ⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: zeng$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛŋ¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chêng
*** Tâi-lô: tsîng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zeeng
*** IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ²³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chn̂g
*** Tâi-lô: tsn̂g
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zngg
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sŋ̍²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cheng
*** Tâi-lô: tsing
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zefng
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chan
*** Tâi-lô: tsan
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zafn
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡san⁴⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: zêng$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsêng
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡seŋ⁵⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$zen
*** MiniDict: zen$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$zen
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zən²³/
* Middle Chinese: dzong
Rime :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 從 (15) |
| Final (韻) | 登 (129) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 昨楞切 |
| Baxter | dzong |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /d͡zəŋ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /d͡zʱəŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | céng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | cang$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[dz]ˤəŋ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*zɯːŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | céng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ dzong › |
| Old Chinese | /*[dz]ˁəŋ/ |
| English | (adverb indicating past time) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| No. | 16625 |
| Phonetic component | 曾 |
| Rime group | 蒸 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | |
| Old Chinese | /*zɯːŋ/ |

#### Definitions

曾
* already; ever; once (in the past); previously
* Alternative form of 層 / 层 (céng)

#### Synonyms

* (already):
* 上早 (Hakka)
* 以前 (yǐqián)
* 以早 (ī-cā) (Eastern Min, Taiwanese Hokkien)
* 先前 (xiānqián)
* 先行 (xiānxíng) (literary)
* 其先 (qíxiān) (literary)
* 前仔 (Tainan Hokkien)
* 前往 (qiánwǎng) (literary)
* 原在 (Hakka)
* 古者 (gǔzhě) (archaic)
* 向來 / 向来 (xiànglái) (archaic)
* 嘗 / 尝 (cháng) (literary, or used in compounds)
* 在前 (zàiqián)
* 家先 (Hakka)
* 往擺 / 往摆 (Hakka, Hokkien)
* 往擺仔 / 往摆仔 (Hokkien)
* 往者 (wǎngzhě) (literary)
* 往過 / 往过 (Hokkien)
* 往過仔 / 往过仔 (Hokkien)
* 從前 / 从前 (cóngqián)
* 早先 (zǎoxiān)
* 早年所 (Hokkien)
* 早時 / 早时 (Hokkien)
* 昔日 (xīrì) (literary)
* 昔時 / 昔时 (xīshí) (literary)
* 曾經 / 曾经 (céngjīng)
* 當初 / 当初 (dāngchū)
* 舊擺 / 旧摆 (Singapore Hokkien)
* 舊早 / 旧早 (Singapore Hokkien)
* 過前 / 过前 (Hainanese)

#### Compounds

* 不曾 (bùcéng)
* 也曾
* 何曾
* 似曾相識 / 似曾相识 (sìcéngxiāngshí)
* 幾曾 / 几曾 (jǐcéng)
* 得未曾有 (déwèicéngyǒu)
* 曾幾何時 / 曾几何时 (céngjǐhéshí)
* 曾經 / 曾经 (céngjīng)
* 曾經滄海 / 曾经沧海 (céngjīngcānghǎi)
* 未曾 (wèicéng)
* 阿曾

#### Descendants

* → Vietnamese: từng (“once”)

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): zēng (zeng$^1$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄗㄥ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zang$^1$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): dang$^1$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): chên
    (Hailu, HRS): zen$^ˋ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): zên$^1$
* Eastern Min (BUC): cĕng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zeng$^1$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): chan / cheng / chng
    (Teochew, Peng'im): zêng$^1$ / zang$^1$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$tsen
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: zēng
*** Zhuyin: ㄗㄥ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: zeng
*** Wade–Giles: tsêng$^1$
*** Yale: dzēng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzeng
*** Palladius: цзэн (czɛn)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɤŋ⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: zang$^1$
*** Yale: jāng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dzang$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: zeng$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: dang$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /taŋ³³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chên
*** Hakka Romanization System: zen$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: zen$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sen²⁴/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: zen$^ˋ$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sen⁵³/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: zên$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sɛn⁴⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: cĕng
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛiŋ⁵⁵/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: zeng$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛŋ⁵³³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chan
*** Tâi-lô: tsan
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zafn
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡san³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡san⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cheng
*** Tâi-lô: tsing
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zefng
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chng
*** Tâi-lô: tsng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zngf
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sŋ̍³³/
* cheng/chng - literary;
* chan - vernacular (including surname).
* Middle Chinese: tsong
Rime :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 精 (13) |
| Final (韻) | 登 (129) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 作滕切 |
| Baxter | tsong |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡səŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | zēng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | zang$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ts]ˤəŋ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsɯːŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | zēng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tsong › |
| Old Chinese | /*[ts]ˁəŋ/ |
| English | remote (ancestor) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 曾 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| No. | 16616 |
| Phonetic component | 曾 |
| Rime group | 蒸 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | |
| Old Chinese | /*ʔsɯːŋ/ |
| Notes | 朱芳圃云爲甑初文， 非形聲字 |

#### Definitions

曾
* 曾姓 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 曾氏 (Cantonese)
* 曾姓 (Gan)
* Chan (sèⁿ) (Southern Min)
* (prefix) great-
    曾孫／曾孙 ― zēngsūn ― great-grandson
* (literary) unexpectedly
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Shéi wèi Hé guǎng? Zēng bù róng dāo. Shéi wèi Sòng yuǎn? Zēng bù chóngzhāo. [Pinyin]
    Who says that the He is wide? It will not admit a little boat. Who says that Song is distant? It would not take a whole morning to reach it.
* (literary) Alternative form of 增 (zēng, “to increase”)
* a surname, Zeng
    曾國藩／曾国藩 ― Zēng Guófān ― Zeng Guofan (Chinese statesman and military general of the Qing dynasty)

#### Descendants

* → English: Tseng, Zeng, Chan, Tsang
* → Tagalog: Chan

#### Compounds

* 可曾 (kěcéng)
* 曾劉 / 曾刘 (Zēngliú)
* 曾參殺人 / 曾参杀人 (Zēng Shēn shārén)
* 曾子 (Zēngzǐ)
* 曾子殺彘 / 曾子杀彘
* 曾孫 / 曾孙 (zēngsūn)
* 曾母投杼
* 曾母暗沙 (Zēngmǔ Ànshā)
* 曾益 (zēngyì)
* 曾祖 (zēngzǔ)
* 曾祖母 (zēngzǔmǔ)
* 曾祖父 (zēngzǔfù)
* 曾都 (Zēngdū)
* 曾門 / 曾门
* 高曾規矩 / 高曾规矩

### References

* “曾”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 曽 |
| Kyūjitai | 曾 |

### Kanji

(Jinmeiyō kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 曽)
* great-

#### Readings

* Go-on: ぞう (zō)
* Kan-on: そう (sō)
* Kan’yō-on: ぞ (zo)、そ (so)
* Kun: かつて (katsute, 曾て)、すなわち (sunawachi, 曾ち)
* Nanori: かつ (katsu)、つね (tsune)

## Korean
### Hanja

曾 • (jeung) (hangeul 증, revised jeung, McCune–Reischauer chŭng, Yale cung)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

曾: Hán Việt readings: tằng, tăng
曾: Nôm readings: tâng, tơn, tưng, từng
* (archaic) chữ Hán form of tằng (“great-”).
* chữ Nôm form of từng (“once, ever, already, formerly”).

#### References

* 1 2 3 4 Génibrel (1898).
* ↑ Thiều Chửu (1942).
* 1 2 Trần (1999).
* 1 2 Nguyễn (1974).
* 1 2 Bonet (1899).
* 1 2 3 4 5 Hồ (1976).
* 1 2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
* Nom Foundation