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March 24, 2026
剩shèng(sheng4)
The character 剩 (shèng) refers to what remains after a portion has been taken away or used. It is commonly used in contexts involving leftovers from meals, surplus resources, or any situation where something is left over after the main part has been accounted for. It can also imply the concept of remaining or surplus in a broader sense.
Strokes12Radical刂Frequency#1513DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, sharing meals is significant, and the concept of leftovers (剩饭) often reflects hospitality, as hosts may prepare more food than necessary for guests. It's common to take home leftovers as a gesture of appreciation.
Memory Tip
Imagine a chef who has cooked a large meal and there are leftovers on the table. The character 剩 can be visualized as a person (亻, the 'person' radical) standing next to a pile of food (剩), representing what is left after the feast. This helps connect the character's shape to its meaning of 'leftover' and its pronunciation, shèng.
Meanings of 剩
shèng(sheng4)
1to remain
2to be left
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About 剩
剩Simplified
12Strokes
刂Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1513Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 剩
Podcast: 剩
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AI Study Notes for 剩
Quick Contrast
剩 (shèng) vs 余 (yú) — use 剩 when emphasizing what is left after consumption or use, while 余 is more general for surplus or remaining.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a chef who has cooked a large meal and there are leftovers on the table. The character 剩 can be visualized as a person (亻, the 'person' radical) standing next to a pile of food (剩), representing what is left after the feast. This helps connect the character's shape to its meaning of 'leftover' and its pronunciation, shèng.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 剩 (shèng) with 省 (shěng), which means 'to save' or 'to economize.' 剩 is more commonly used in informal contexts when talking about food or items that are left over. It often appears in phrases like '剩饭' (shèng fàn, leftovers) or '剩下' (shèng xià, to remain).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 剩 connects with other vocabulary related to quantity and remainder, such as 余 (yú, surplus) and 剩余 (shèng yú, remaining surplus). Students should focus on using it in practical sentences involving food or resources.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, sharing meals is significant, and the concept of leftovers (剩饭) often reflects hospitality, as hosts may prepare more food than necessary for guests. It's common to take home leftovers as a gesture of appreciation.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 剩 (shèng) with 剪 (jiǎn, to cut) because of the similar radical structure. For example, saying '我剪了很多剩' (Wǒ jiǎnle hěn duō shèng) is incorrect; it should be '我剩了很多' (Wǒ shèngle hěn duō) to mean 'I have a lot left.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 剩
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Grammar Patterns of 剩
剩 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
In Chinese culture, sharing meals is significant, and the concept of leftovers (剩饭) often reflects hospitality, as hosts may prepare more food than necessary for guests. It's common to take home leftovers as a gesture of appreciation.
Word Family of 剩
Words Containing This Character12
剩下shèngxiàto remain
剩shèngto remain
剩余shèngyúremainder剩餘
过剩guòshèngsurplus過剩
所剩无几there is not much left所剩無幾
剩饭leftover food剩飯
剩菜leftovers (food)
剩余价值surplus value剩餘價值
残羹剩饭leftovers from a meal殘羹剩飯
剩磁residual magnetism
剩钱to have money left剩錢
残茶剩饭crumbs from the feast殘茶剩飯
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 剩下 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 剩
剩 (shèng) focuses on what remains after something is taken away, while 留 (liú) means 'to keep' or 'to stay.' For example, you might say '剩下的钱' (the money that is left) versus '留下一些钱' (keep some money). Understanding this distinction can help in using these characters correctly.
Common phrases that include 剩 (shèng) are '剩饭' (shèng fàn) meaning 'leftover rice' and '剩下的' (shèng xià de) meaning 'the remaining ones.' These phrases are useful in everyday conversations about food or time management.
剩 (shèng) means 'to remain' or 'to be left.' It is often used in contexts where something is left over or remains after a portion has been taken away. For example, you might use it to describe leftover food or remaining time.
You can use 剩 (shèng) in sentences like '剩下的食物' which means 'the remaining food.' It can also be used in phrases like '剩余时间' meaning 'remaining time.' This character is commonly paired with other words to convey the idea of something that is left or remaining.
You can say, '我们还有很多剩饭' (Wǒmen hái yǒu hěn duō shèng fàn), meaning 'We still have a lot of leftovers.'
It is generally used in informal contexts, particularly when discussing food or casual situations.
No, while it is commonly used for food, it can also refer to any remaining items or resources.
