Definition
成年 (chéngnián) is an adverb meaning 'as an adult' or 'after reaching adulthood,' focusing on the legal or biological transition. It differs from 大人 (dàren, noun 'adult') and 成人 (chéngrén, verb/noun 'to become an adult' or 'adult'), which are more general. Use 成年 to describe actions or states that apply once someone is grown up.
adverb
to become an adultto grow to adulthoodadult (adj.)fully grown
Examples
- 成年。Tā chéng nián hòu jiù kāishǐ dúlì shēnghuó le.After he became an adult, he started living independently.
- 。chéng nián rén xūyào duì zìjǐ de xíngwéi fùzé.Adults need to be responsible for their own actions.
- 成年，。Tā hái méi chéng nián, bù néng qiān hétong.She hasn't become an adult yet, so she can't sign a contract.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.