chéng
noun #5,291

Meanings

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

Examples

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

Tips

usage
forms many compounds: 过程 (guòchéng, process), 工程 (gōngchéng, engineering/project), 程度 (chéngdù, degree/extent), 课程 (kèchéng, course/curriculum), 程序 (chéngxù, procedure/program), 路程 (lùchéng, distance/journey).

Components

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

Stroke Order

chéng