Meaning of 成人
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to reach adulthood
- an adult
How to use 成人
成人 is a fairly formal word for an adult, common on signs, tickets, and in phrases like 成人教育 (chéngrén jiàoyù, adult education). In daily talk people often say 大人 (dàrén) instead. Example: 成人票一百块。(Chéngrén piào yìbǎi kuài.) An adult ticket is 100 yuan.
成 (chéng) means to become or complete, and 人 (rén) means person. Someone who has finished becoming a full person is an adult.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 成人 (chéngrén, adult) with 成为 (chéngwéi, to become). Also avoid mixing up 成 with the similar-looking 城 (chéng, city), which has the earth radical 土 on the left.
成人 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
成 chéng · to succeed · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
人 rén · person · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 成人.
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman |
| 男人 | nánrén | a man; a male |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient |
| 工人 | gōngrén | worker |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 成为 | chéngwéi | to become; to turn into |
| 人们 | rénmen | people |
| 变成 | biànchéng | to change into; to turn into |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete; to accomplish |
Questions about 成人
What does 成人 mean?
成人 (chéngrén) means "to reach adulthood; an adult" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 成人?
成人 is made of 2 characters: 成 (6 strokes), 人 (2 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 成人 an HSK word?
Yes. 成人 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 成人 and 大人?
Both mean adult. 成人 sounds more formal and official, while 大人 is casual and is often used by or to children, as in 问问大人 (ask a grown-up).
Can 成人 be used as a verb?
Yes. It can mean to grow up or reach adulthood, as in 孩子已经长大成人了 (the child has grown into an adult). This verb use often appears in the set phrase 长大成人.