成
surname Cheng; short name for Chengdu 成都[Cheng2 du1]; to succeed; to finish; to complete; to accomplish; to become; to turn into; to be all right; one tenth
Closest English meanings
become·accomplish·success
The Calligrapher — Wáng Xiànzhī 王献之
Son of Wang Xizhi and pioneer of wild cursive who pushed brush freedom further.
Eastern Jin calligrapher (344–386), master of running script/cursive script — seventh son of Wang Xizhi who broke his father's rules for a more fluent, emotional running script; together they are 'the Two Wangs'. Eastern Jin dynasty
Cultural Story
成 is the thing brought to completion. The 易經 reads it as the settle of a matter, and the histories use 成功 for the campaign that actually ended. The character once showed a weapon and a man, the deed done. It is the finish that makes the effort legible.
Common words & phrases
- 成功 success · succeed
- 完成 complete · finish
- 成长 grow · grow up
- 成绩 result · grade
- 成就 achievement
- 成为 become
Read the story behind the character
成 is the daily yes-to-done: 成功 the pass, 完成 the form, 成长 the child, 成绩 the grade. 成就 is the career summed up, 成为 the thing you turned into. It names the arrival and the becoming, the result and the road, usually before the celebration.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Wáng Xiànzhī 王献之, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.