Measure Word 层 (céng) for Floors/Layers

In Chinese, you cannot just say "three buildings" or "two cakes." You almost always need a measure word between the number and the noun. 层 acts as a classifier for layers, floors, or levels. It tells the listener exactly how the object is structured. Imagine you are looking at a sandwich. Each slice of bread and meat is a 层. When you talk about a building, each floor is a 层. It is like a mental filing cabinet for stacked objects. It helps you be precise without using complex adjectives. It is one of the most visual measure words in the language. You are basically drawing a picture with your words.

1. 1Using 层 is as simple as building with blocks. Follow these three steps:
2. 2Start with a number like 一 (yī), 两 (liǎng), or 几 (jǐ).
3. 3Add the measure word 层 (céng) immediately after the number.
4. 4Finish with the noun you are describing, like 楼 (lóu) or 蛋糕 (dàngāo).
5. 5The basic formula is: Number + 层 + (optional) Noun.
6. 6Example: 三层楼 (sān céng lóu) means "three floors/stories."
7. 7Example: 两层皮 (liǎng céng pí) means "two layers of skin."
8. 8If the context is clear, you can even drop the noun. If someone asks how many floors a house has, just say 三层 (sān céng).

You should use 层 whenever things are piled up.

• Buildings: This is the most common use. Use it for office towers or houses.
• Food: Think of multi-layered cakes, sandwiches, or even an onion.
• Clothing: In winter, you might wear 三层衣服 (three layers of clothes).
• Nature: Use it for a layer of dust on a table or clouds in the sky.
• Abstract levels: It can describe social classes or deep meanings in a book.

Real-world scenario: You are at a bakery. You want the cake with three layers. You would say: 我要那个三层的蛋糕. It is much more natural than just saying "big cake."

Do not use 层 for everything that seems flat.

• Paper: Use 张 (zhāng) for sheets of paper. Paper is flat but not usually "stacked" in this sense.
• Steps: For individual steps on a staircase, use 级 (jí).
• Sequences: If you are talking about the "first time," use 次 (cì).
• Flat surfaces: For a table or a bed, use 张 (zhāng).

Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If the object is growing upwards in distinct slices, go ahead with 层. If it is just a single flat item, stop and use a different word. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are in a rush, so don't sweat it too much!

A very common mistake is confusing 层 (céng) with 楼 (lóu).

• 层 is the measure word for the *unit* of a floor.
• 楼 is the noun for the *building* or the floor's name.

✗ Wrong: 我住三楼层 (Wǒ zhù sān lóu céng).

✓ Correct: 我住三层 (Wǒ zhù sān céng) or 我住三楼 (Wǒ zhù sān lóu).

Another mistake is using 二 (èr) instead of 两 (liǎng). When counting layers, always use 两层 (liǎng céng), never 二层 (èr céng), unless you are naming the "Second Floor" specifically. It is like the difference between "two floors" and "Floor Two." It is a small detail, but it makes you sound much more like a pro.

Let's compare 层 with 楼 (lóu) and 级 (jí).

• 层 (céng) focuses on the quantity of layers. "This cake has five layers."
• 楼 (lóu) focuses on the location or the building itself. "I am on the fifth floor."
• 级 (jí) focuses on stairs or levels of an exam. "I climbed ten steps."

Imagine you are in a skyscraper. You are on the 10th floor (十楼). That building has 50 floors total (五十层). If you take the stairs, you climb many steps (级). Keeping these three separate will save you a lot of confusion at the mall or the office. Think of 层 as the "sandwich slice" and 楼 as the "address."