程

chéng
noun #5,291

Meanings

  1. 1 rule; procedure; process
  2. 2 journey; distance
  3. 3 degree; extent

Examples

HSK 3
Xuéxí de guòchéng hěn zhòngyào.
The process of learning is very important.
HSK 4
Zhège gōngchéng hěn dà.
This project is very large.

Tips

usage
程 forms many compounds: 过程 (process), 工程 (engineering/project), 程度 (degree/extent), 课程 (course/curriculum), 程序 (procedure/program), 路程 (distance/journey).

Components

radical
禾 hé
grain; grain stalk
Grain radical on the left - 程 originally meant a measured unit of grain used as a standard for weighing, which generalised to standard, regulation, measurement. The agricultural origin still shows: 程 carries the sense of an established quantity or procedure.
phonetic
呈 chéng
to present; to display
Right component supplies the sound exactly: chéng. Reinforced semantically - 呈 to formally present echoes the bureaucratic flavour of 程 as set procedure / official measurement. Same phonetic in 逞 (give free rein), 酲 (hangover).

Stroke Order

程 chéng