高层
gāocéng · HSK 6
high-rise
🏢 高 = high + 层 = floor/layer; high floors = upper levels
高 means high or tall; 层 means floor, story, or layer. Together they literally read as high-floor or high-layer, extended to mean upper levels of a building or top tiers of management.
高 — pictograph of a tall building/tower
高 is a pictograph of a tall structure, likely a watchtower or multi-story gate, with a roof on top, an upper chamber, and a base below. From this concrete image of height it extended to the general meanings 'tall,' 'high,' and figuratively 'lofty' or 'noble.'
层 — corpse 尸 + cloud 云 (simplified from 曾)
层 is the simplified form of 層. The original character combines 尸 (a roof/dwelling) with 曾 (céng), which provides the sound and originally depicted stacked layers of a steamer. Together they suggested a multi-storied building, extending to mean 'layer,' 'tier,' or 'story.'