céng
once; already; at some time in the past
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我曾经去过北京。
wǒ céngjīng qùguò běijīng.
I have been to Beijing.
他曾经是一名教师。
tā céngjīng shì yīmíng jiàoshī.
He used to be a teacher.
我们曾经是好朋友。
wǒmen céngjīng shì hǎo péngyou.
We used to be good friends.
未 (wèi)
never
从不 (cóng bù)
never
The Chinese character 曾 (céng) is composed of two parts: the radical 禾 (hé), which means "rice plant," and the phonetic component 增 (zēng), which means "to increase." The character 曾 originally meant "to plant rice," but over time it has come to be used in a variety of other contexts.One common usage of 曾 is as a measure word for times or occasions. For example, the sentence "我曾去过北京三次" (wǒ céng qùguò Běijīng sān cì) means "I have been to Beijing three times." 曾 can also be used as a verb meaning "to have done something in the past." For example, the sentence "他曾是一名教师" (tā céng shì yī míng jiàoshī) means "He was once a teacher."In addition to its literal meanings, 曾 can also be used in a figurative sense. For example, the phrase "曾几何时" (céng jǐ hé shí) means "once upon a time," and the phrase "曾几何时" (céng jǐ hé shí) means "in no time at all."The character 曾 is a versatile character with a rich history. It is a valuable addition to any HSK learner's vocabulary.
