38.3 Number of Floors
To indicate the number of floors (e.g., two floors, four floors), we use the classifier 層 cang4 (‘floor’). Note that we use 兩 loeng5 instead of 二 ji6 for ‘two floors’.
To mean ‘to go up one floor, to go down two floors, etc.’, we put the number of floors after 上 soeng5 (‘to go up’) or 落 lok6 (‘to go down’).
上一層
soeng5 jat1 cang4
to go up one floor
落兩層
lok6 loeng5 cang4
to go down two floors
Below are some expressions that look similar. Pay attention to their meanings.
上兩層
soeng5 loeng5 cang4
to go up two floors
上二樓
soeng5 ji6 lau2
to go up to the second floor
上第二層
soeng5 dai6 ji6 cang4
to go up to the second floor
To ask how many floors we need to go up or go down, we can put the question expression 幾多層 gei2 do1 cang4 / 幾層 gei2 cang4 (‘how many + floor’) after 上 soeng5 or 落 lok6.
| A: | 戲院要上幾多層呀？ hei3 jyun2 jiu3 soeng5 gei2 do1 cang4 aa3? 戲院要上幾層呀？ hei3 jyun2 jiu3 soeng5 gei2 cang4 aa3? For the movie theater, how many floors do I need to go up? |
| B: | 戲院要上兩層。 hei3 jyun2 jiu3 soeng5 loeng5 cang4. For the movie theater, you need to go up two floors. |