逞 (chěng) · to show off; to flaunt

Meanings

1 to show off; to flaunt
2 to indulge; to give free rein to
3 to carry out a scheme

Characters

逞

chěng

to show off; to indulge

Examples

HSK 4

他总是喜欢逞能，结果出了事。

Tā zǒngshì xǐhuan chěngnéng, jiéguǒ chū le shì.

He always likes to show off his ability, and ended up causing an accident.

Tips

usage

逞 has a negative connotation. Common compounds: 逞能 (show off one's ability), 逞强 (act tough), 逞凶 (act violently). It implies reckless or arrogant behavior.

Components

radical

辶 chuò

walking; motion

The walking radical wraps around the lower-left, marking 逞 as movement carried out - striding out to display oneself, parading a scheme, going around showing off. It indexes 逞 with the motion family: 进 advance, 退 retreat, 通 pass through, 追 chase.

phonetic

呈 chéng

present; submit

呈 supplies the sound chéng → chěng, just a tone shift. It also adds a fitting semantic flavour: 呈 means to present or display formally, and 逞 means to show off or indulge - the difference is intensity, not direction. Same phonetic series links 程 procedure, 酲 hangover.