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生成 (shēng chéng) — to generate, produce, form; (less common) to be born with, to be blessed with

Definition

生成 emphasizes the resulting product ('generate, produce') and works in technical contexts like computing and biology. Stronger and more concrete than 产生 ('give rise to'), which highlights the arising of an abstract situation or feeling.

verb
to generateproduceform(less common) to be born withto be blessed with

Examples

  • 生成。
    Zhè ge chéng xù kě yǐ zì dòng shēng chéng tú piàn.
    This program can automatically generate images.
  • ，生成。
    Jīng guò jǐ bǎi wàn nián de yǎn huà, zhè xiē wù zhǒng shēng chéng le xīn de tè zhēng.
    After millions of years of evolution, these species developed new traits.
  • 生成，。
    Tā shēng chéng yí fù hǎo sǎng zi, hěn shì hé chàng gē.
    He was born with a good voice, very suitable for singing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

生shēngbring into being
成chéngform

生 means bring into being and 成 means form, so 生成 describes something coming into existence.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Change & Process

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