chénggōng: 成功 - Success, Successful

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• Summary: Discover the deep meaning of 成功 (chénggōng), the Chinese word for “success” or “successful.” This comprehensive guide explores not just the translation, but the cultural weight behind achieving goals in China. Learn how to use chénggōng correctly in conversation, understand its connection to hard work and family, and see how it differs from the Western concept of success. Perfect for HSK 3 students and anyone interested in Chinese culture.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): chénggōng
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb, Adjective
• HSK Level: 3
• Concise Definition: Success; to succeed; successful.
• In a Nutshell: 成功 (chénggōng) is a powerful and aspirational word in Chinese. It goes beyond a simple feeling of accomplishment; it signifies a tangible, often publicly recognized, achievement that is the result of significant effort and perseverance. Whether used as a noun (“success”), a verb (“to succeed”), or an adjective (“successful”), chénggōng points to a definitive and positive outcome, especially in the realms of career, education, and providing for one's family.

• 成 (chéng): This character means “to complete,” “to accomplish,” or “to become.” It signifies the finishing of a task or the transformation into a new state.
• 功 (gōng): This character means “achievement,” “merit,” “skill,” or “effort.” It is composed of 工 (gōng), meaning “work/labor,” and 力 (lì), meaning “strength/power.” It inherently contains the idea of applying powerful effort to one's work.
• Together, 成功 (chénggōng) literally translates to “completed achievement” or “accomplished effort.” This combination perfectly captures the Chinese understanding of success as the direct result of hard work leading to a concrete and finished accomplishment.

In Chinese culture, 成功 (chénggōng) is often viewed through a more collective and pragmatic lens than its Western counterpart. While “success” in the West can be highly individualistic and tied to personal happiness or “following your passion,” 成功 in China is frequently defined by more standardized, external benchmarks that bring honor to one's family and signal social stability. These benchmarks traditionally include:

• Academic Achievement: Excelling in school and, most importantly, scoring well on the 高考 (gāokǎo), the national college entrance exam, is the first major step toward 成功.
• Career and Wealth: Securing a stable, prestigious, and well-paying job is a cornerstone of a successful life.
• Material Assets: Owning property (a house or apartment) and a car are widely seen as undeniable symbols of 成功.
• Family: Being able to provide for one's parents in their old age (filial piety) and raising one's own children well are integral parts of the definition.

This contrasts with a Western perspective where someone who leaves a high-paying job to become a freelance artist might be seen as “successful” if they are personally fulfilled. In a more traditional Chinese context, this move might be viewed with concern unless it leads to significant fame and fortune. The concept is deeply intertwined with the value of 吃苦 (chīkǔ)—bearing hardships—as the necessary path to achieving a stable and respectable life.

成功 (chénggōng) is a versatile word used frequently in formal and informal contexts.

• As a Noun (success): It is used when talking about the concept or goal of success.
  • “成功的关键是努力。” (Chénggōng de guānjiàn shì nǔlì.) - The key to success is hard work.
• As a Verb (to succeed): It is used to state that a goal has been achieved, often with a sense of finality. It's frequently followed by the particle 了 (le).
  • “我们的实验成功了！” (Wǒmen de shíyàn chénggōng le!) - Our experiment succeeded!
• As an Adjective (successful): It is used to describe a person, company, or plan that has achieved success. It is often used with the particle 的 (de).
  • “他是一位非常成功的商人。” (Tā shì yí wèi fēicháng chénggōng de shāngrén.) - He is a very successful businessman.

It's common in business meetings, academic discussions, motivational quotes, and everyday conversations about life goals and achievements.

• Example 1:
  • 祝你成功！
  • Pinyin: Zhù nǐ chénggōng!
  • English: I wish you success!
  • Analysis: A very common and sincere way to wish someone well on a major endeavor, like an exam, a job interview, or starting a business. Here, 成功 is used as a noun.
• Example 2:
  • 经过多次尝试，我们终于成功了。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò duō cì chángshì, wǒmen zhōngyú chénggōng le.
  • English: After many attempts, we finally succeeded.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 成功 as a verb, paired with 了 (le) to indicate the completion of the action “to succeed.” It emphasizes the effort that came before the success.
• Example 3:
  • 他是一个成功的典范。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì yí gè chénggōng de diǎnfàn.
  • English: He is a model of success.
  • Analysis: Here, 成功 functions as an adjective modifying 典范 (diǎnfàn), meaning “model” or “paragon.”
• Example 4:
  • 没有任何人的成功是随随便便的。
  • Pinyin: Méiyǒu rènhé rén de chénggōng shì suísuíbiànbiàn de.
  • English: No one's success comes easily (or casually).
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 成功 as a noun and reflects the cultural belief that true success requires immense effort.
• Example 5:
  • 这次市场推广活动非常成功。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì shìchǎng tuīguǎng huódòng fēicháng chénggōng.
  • English: This marketing campaign was very successful.
  • Analysis: A common business usage. 成功 is used as a stative adjective to describe the state of the campaign.
• Example 6:
  • 成功的秘诀在于坚持不懈。
  • Pinyin: Chénggōng de mìjué zàiyú jiānchí bú xiè.
  • English: The secret to success lies in perseverance.
  • Analysis: A classic motivational sentence. 成功 is the noun subject of the sentence.
• Example 7:
  • 如果这个项目成功了，公司就能赚大钱。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ zhè ge xiàngmù chénggōng le, gōngsī jiù néng zhuàn dà qián.
  • English: If this project succeeds, the company will be able to make a lot of money.
  • Analysis: A conditional sentence showing the future potential resulting from succeeding. 成功 is the verb in the “if” clause.
• Example 8:
  • 在父母眼里，找到好工作就是一种成功。
  • Pinyin: Zài fùmǔ yǎnlǐ, zhǎodào hǎo gōngzuò jiùshì yì zhǒng chénggōng.
  • English: In the eyes of parents, finding a good job is a form of success.
  • Analysis: This example directly touches upon the cultural definition of 成功 as a noun, linking it to career achievements.
• Example 9:
  • 他虽然没有成功，但我们都佩服他的勇气。
  • Pinyin: Tā suīrán méiyǒu chénggōng, dàn wǒmen dōu pèifú tā de yǒngqì.
  • English: Although he didn't succeed, we all admire his courage.
  • Analysis: This sentence demonstrates how to negate the verb 成功 using 没有 (méiyǒu), meaning “did not succeed.”
• Example 10:
  • 这家公司被认为是中国最成功的科技公司之一。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī bèi rènwéi shì Zhōngguó zuì chénggōng de kējì gōngsī zhī yī.
  • English: This company is considered one of the most successful tech companies in China.
  • Analysis: 成功 is used as an adjective, modified by the adverb for “most” (最 zuì), to describe the company.

• Success vs. Smoothness: A common mistake is to confuse 成功 (chénggōng) with 顺利 (shùnlì).
  • 成功 (chénggōng) refers to the final outcome: you achieved the goal.
  • 顺利 (shùnlì) refers to the process: it went smoothly, without problems.
  • Correct: 我们的项目成功了，但过程很不顺利。(Wǒmen de xiàngmù chénggōng le, dàn guòchéng hěn bú shùnlì.) - Our project succeeded, but the process was not smooth.
  • Incorrect: 我顺利地通过了考试。 (This is correct usage of shùnlì). It means you passed easily. If you say 我成功地通过了考试, it sounds a bit overly dramatic, implying the exam was a monumental challenge you conquered. The former is more natural for routine tests.
• Scale of Achievement: While you can use 成功 for many things, it's typically reserved for significant accomplishments. For smaller, everyday tasks, other words are more natural.
  • Task: You fixed a bug in the code.
  • Natural: 我把bug搞定了。(Wǒ bǎ bug gǎodìng le.) - I got the bug handled.
  • Less Natural: 我成功地修复了bug。(Wǒ chénggōng de xiūfùle bug.) - I successfully fixed the bug. (This sounds very formal, like you're writing a report.)

• 失败 (shībài) - Failure; to fail. The direct antonym of 成功.
• 成就 (chéngjiù) - Accomplishment; achievement. Refers to the concrete results or milestones of one's success. 成功 is the state, 成就 are the things you did.
• 胜利 (shènglì) - Victory; triumph. More often used in the context of a competition, battle, or game. It implies defeating an opponent, whereas 成功 is about achieving a goal.
• 顺利 (shùnlì) - Smooth; without a hitch. Describes a process, not the final outcome.
• 奋斗 (fèndòu) - To strive; to struggle for a goal. This is the hard work you do in order to achieve 成功.
• 吃苦 (chīkǔ) - To bear hardships. A culturally valued trait seen as a prerequisite for 成功.
• 事业 (shìyè) - Career; enterprise; undertaking. The domain, usually professional, where one strives for 成功.
• 出人头地 (chū rén tóu dì) - An idiom meaning “to stand out from one's peers” or “to become eminent.” It describes a specific, high level of social and professional 成功.