====== chénggōng: 成功 - Success, Successful ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** chenggong, 成功, chenggong meaning, what does chenggong mean, how to say success in Chinese, Chinese word for success, successful in Chinese, achieve success Chinese, Chinese culture success, HSK 3 vocabulary.
  * **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.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **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.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **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.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
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.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**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 Sentences =====
  * **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.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **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.)//
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[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**.