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成长 (chéng zhǎng) — to grow, to mature

Definition

成长 focuses on a living being (person, plant) maturing over time, especially through experience. 发展 is broader ('to develop/expand', used for things, economies, skills); 成熟 marks reaching maturity as a state, not the process.

verb
to growto mature

Examples

  • 成长。
    Tā zài xué xí zhōng wén de guò chéng zhōng bú duàn chéng zhǎng.
    She constantly grows in the process of learning Chinese.
  • 成长。
    Zhè kē xiǎo shù zài yáng guāng hé yǔ shuǐ zhōng màn màn chéng zhǎng.
    This small tree slowly grows in sunlight and rain.
  • 成长。
    Jīng lì kùn nan ràng wǒ men gèng kuài chéng zhǎng.
    Experiencing difficulties helps us grow faster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

成chéngbecome mature
长chánggrow

成 and 长 both point to growing and becoming mature, so together they mean to grow up.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
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