Chinese

céng
Meaning: once; previously; ever
Part of Speech: Adverb

Listen to pronunciation

Handwriting

曾

Example sentences

I once read this story in a book.
他曾任本校校長。
他曾任本校校长。
He once served as the principal of this school.
「歷史上,許多國家曾遭到列強侵略。」
「历史上,许多国家曾遭到列强侵略。」
In history, many countries were invaded by great powers.
他早年曾出國留學。
他早年曾出国留学。
In his early years, he once went abroad to study.
漢武帝時期,大將軍衛青曾多次率軍擊敗匈奴。
汉武帝时期,大将军卫青曾多次率军击败匈奴。
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, General Wei Qing led the army to defeat the Xiongnu many times.
這裡曾是一位知名富商的豪宅。
这里曾是一位知名富商的豪宅。
This used to be the mansion of a famous wealthy merchant.
他曾多次代表國家出使歐洲。
他曾多次代表国家出使欧洲。
He has represented the country on diplomatic missions to Europe many times.
傳說中,仙女曾下凡來到這裡。
传说中,仙女曾下凡来到这里。
Legend has it that fairies once descended to the mortal world and came here.

Usage Notes

Indicates that an action or state existed in the past.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.