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成家 (chéng jiā) — to get married and start a family; to become a recognized expert (in a field)

Definition

成家 means 'to get married and start a family' (often about settling down). It is a separable verb: insert a particle or complement between 成 and 家, as in 成了家 / 成了家再立业. The expert sense is a literary extension.

verb
to get married and start a familyto become a recognized expert (in a field)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā sān shí suì jiù chéng le jiā.
    He got married and started a family at age 30.
  • 成家。
    Hěn duō nián qīng rén bù xiǎng tài zǎo chéng jiā.
    Many young people don't want to get married too early.
  • 成家。
    Tā zài yīn yuè fāng miàn zǎo jiù chéng jiā le.
    He has long been an established expert in music.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

成chéngestablish
家jiāfamily

'成' means form or establish and '家' means family, so it expresses setting up a family.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Family & KinshipRomance & Marriage

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