增 (zēng) · to increase; to add

Meanings

1 to increase; to add
2 to grow; to gain

Characters

增

zēng

to increase; to add

Examples

HSK 4

增长速度很快。

Zēngzhǎng sùdù hěnkuài.

The growth rate is very fast.

HSK 5

人口在增加。

Rénkǒu zài zēngjiā.

The population is increasing.

HSK 5

这项措施明显增强了大家的信心。

Zhè xiàng cuòshī míngxiǎn zēngqiáng le dàjiā de xìnxīn.

This measure clearly boosted everyone's confidence.

Tips

usage

增 is used in: 增加 (to increase), 增长 (to grow), 增强 (to strengthen), 增多 (to multiply), 增进 (to promote/enhance). It contrasts with 减 (to decrease) in the pair 增减 (increase and decrease).

Components

radical

土 tǔ

earth; soil

Left earth radical anchors 增 in the building/accumulation family alongside 堆 pile, 培 cultivate, 堡 fort. The original image is heaping earth higher and higher - the concrete root of the abstract verb "to increase, add to."

phonetic

曾 céng

once; layered (here phonetic)

Right 曾 supplies the sound: céng to zēng. 曾 itself depicts a stacked steamer with rising vapors, giving the secondary semantic hint of "layered, piled up." Same phonetic appears in 赠 give, 憎 hate, 蹭 rub against, 层 layer - useful family to memorize together.