chéng

completed

Original meaning: 

city

Depicts defending city walls () with an axe (). also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "city", now written as . The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components
戌 iconic component

  Iconic component

qu

  

11th terrestrial branch

Depicts an axe.

丁 sound,iconic component

  Sound Iconic component

dīng

  

cubes

Depicts city walls.

Evolution

成 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
成 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
成 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
成 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
成 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

chéng

completed, finished, fixed; to succeed; to finish; to complete; to accomplish; to become; to turn into; to be all right; OK!; one tenth

 

Chéng

surname Cheng

Most common words with 成
Freq.
Word
Meaning

to succeed

成为

to become

成功

success

完成

to complete

变成

to change into

Component uses

Sound component in 6 characters (4 verified)