English · to finish, to complete, to become, success
Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Single character
Strokes:6
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the horizontal stroke stable, allow the vertical hook to anchor the right side, and balance the sweeping falling-left stroke with the diagonal rising stroke on the right.
1. Meaning
to succeed, finish, accomplish, or become
surname Chengshort name for Chengduto turn intoto be all right, OK!one tenth
An iron pestle can be ground into a needle (perseverance spells success).
2. Sound
/[t͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵]/Tone: 35
成
chéngcheng2
|
++
´(35)
=chéng
Initial Consonant
ch
Type: Aspirated Retroflex
Sounds like: ch sound with tongue curled back
AspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: Both curled tongue AND explosive puff of air! Tissue MUST fly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near the hard palate, releasing a strong burst of air.
Final Rhyme
eng
Vowel Group: -e vowel group
Sounds like: eng rhymes with sung
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'uhng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
3 → 5 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises like a questioning English inflection, e.g., 'Huh?' or 'Really?'
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, the tone shifts to a half-rising contour or changes depending on sandhi rules, though typically maintains its 35 rising pitch in isolation.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'ch-' with the dental/alveolar affricate 'c-' (which sounds like 'ts').
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture starting from a medium-low pitch and soaring upward, matching an inquiring 'What?' in English.
3. Writing
Topology: Single character · Strokes: 6 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the horizontal stroke stable, allow the vertical hook to anchor the right side, and balance the sweeping falling-left stroke with the diagonal rising stroke on the right.
Semantic Clue (形旁):戈 (indicates a weapon, force, or conquering completion)
A halberd (戈) used to secure a victory or finish a battle, representing the completion or accomplishment of a task.
丁 nail or a robust base foundation
戈 halberd or weapon of completion
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
7· Phonetic Root: 成 (chéng)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally depicted a battle-axe or halberd (戈) used to enforce an outcome or establish a successful conquest, later generalized to mean 'to finish' or 'to become'.
Semantic Evolution: From the physical act of subduing an enemy or finishing a task with a weapon (戈) to the abstract concept of completion, achievement, and transformation into a new state.
In ancient times, military victories were synonymous with things being 'completed' or 'settled'.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
thành
Mandarin rising tone 2 corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi or huyền depending on historical derivations, specifically rising here.