增 zēng — to increase; to expand; to add
最近天气变冷，感冒的人增多了。Zuì jìn tiān qì biàn lěng, gǎn mào de rén zēng duō le.Recently the weather has turned cold, and more people have caught colds.
Common words: 增加 (zēng jiā)、增长 (zēng zhǎng)、增强 (zēng qiáng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to increase"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to increase", including 增 (zēng), 倍 (bèi), 添 (tiān), 诞 (dàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to increase" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 增 (zēng), 倍 (bèi), 添 (tiān), 诞 (dàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zēng, bèi, tiān, dàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 增 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 增 zēngto increase; to expand; to addUseful words: 增加, 增长
- 倍 bèi(two; three; etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double; to increase or multiplyUseful words: 成倍, 十倍
- 添 tiānto add; to increase; to replenishUseful words: 添加, 增添
- 诞 dànbirth; birthday; brag; boast; to increaseUseful words: 诞生, 诞辰
Common words for these 4 "to increase" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 增 (zēng) — so "to increase" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
增加zēng jiāto raise; to increase增长zēng zhǎngto grow; to increase增强zēng qiángto increase; to strengthen成倍chéng bèitwofold; manyfold; exponentially十倍shí bèitenfold; ten times (sth)三倍sān bèitriple; three times as much; threefold添加tiān jiāto add; to increase增添zēng tiānto add; to increase画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúlit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous; to overdo it诞生dàn shēngto be born
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "to increase".
倍 bèi — (two; three; etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double; to increase or multiply
这本书的价钱是那本的两倍。Zhè běn shū de jià qián shì nà běn de liǎng bèi.The price of this book is twice that of that one.
Common words: 成倍 (chéng bèi)、十倍 (shí bèi)、三倍 (sān bèi)
添 tiān — to add; to increase; to replenish
天气转凉，记得给孩子添件衣服。Tiān qì zhuǎn liáng, jì de gěi hái zi tiān jiàn yī fu.As the weather cools, remember to add a layer for the child.
Common words: 添加 (tiān jiā)、增添 (zēng tiān)、画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú)
诞 dàn — birth; birthday; brag; boast; to increase
今天是奶奶八十岁的诞辰。Jīn tiān shì nǎi nai bā shí suì de dàn chén.Today is Grandma eightieth birthday.
Common words: 诞生 (dàn shēng)、诞辰 (dàn chén)、荒诞 (huāng dàn)
All 4 characters
Open 增、倍、添 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.