底层

dǐ céng

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1. ground or first floor
2. bottom (of a pile)
3. lowest rung (of society)

Word relationships

Antonyms

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• 顶层 dǐng céng 顶层 dǐng céng top floor 底层 (bottom layer) vs. 顶层 (top layer), used in physical and social contexts.: top floor

Register variants

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• 基层 jī céng 基层 jī céng basic level In social hierarchy contexts, 底层 refers to the lowest rung, while 基层 denotes the basic level or grassroots, often with a more neutral connotation.: basic level

Related words

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• 地下室 dì xià shì 地下室 dì xià shì basement 地下室 is a basement, a room below ground level, related to 底层 as the ground floor in a building.: basement

Synonyms

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• 下层 xià céng 下层 xià céng underlayer Both can mean the lower stratum of society, though 下层 is less absolute than 底层.: underlayer

Usage notes

Collocations

In computing, 底层 refers to low-level (e.g., 底层语言 low-level language). Avoid using it for 'ground floor' in elevators, where 一楼 is standard.

Common mistakes

底层 can mean 'ground floor' (US) or 'first floor' (UK), which in China is equivalent to 一楼. Using 底层 for a building's first floor above ground may cause confusion, as it often implies the lowest level.

Example Sentences

1 shown

很多农民工生活在社会的 底层 。

Many migrant workers live at the bottom of society.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 底层

• 层 层 céng: to pile on top of one another
• 底 底 de: (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle)
• 底 底 dǐ: background