酿成 (niàng chéng) — to lead to (a serious negative outcome); to cau…

Definition

Mostly used in writing for serious negative outcomes: 一次疏忽酿成了一场大祸. The literal 'brew/ferment' sense is rare in modern use.

verb

to lead to (a serious negative outcome)to cause (disasters, tragedies)(formal, literal) to brew or ferment (wine, vinegar, etc.)

酿成。
Yí cì xiǎo xiǎo de shū hu jiù niàng chéng le yì chǎng dà huò.
One small oversight led to a major disaster.
，酿成。
Dāng shí de jué cè bú dàng, zuì zhōng niàng chéng le wú fǎ wǎn huí de bēi jù.
The improper decision at the time eventually caused an irreparable tragedy.
酿成。
Zhè zhǒng liáng shi kě yǐ niàng chéng měi wèi de hǎo jiǔ.
This kind of grain can be fermented into fine, delicious wine.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

酿niàngbrew or cause

成chéngbecome or result

酿 means to brew or cause, and 成 marks the resulting state.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

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.

Appears in