Chinese word

成为

Pronunciation

Pinyinchéng wéi

Meaning

  • verbbecome

Example

我们会成为好朋友。wǒ men huì chéng wéi hǎo péng yǒu

We will become good friends.

Illustration for 成为 (become)

More examples

他长大后想成为老师。tā zhǎng dà hòu xiǎng chéng wéi lǎo shī

He wants to become a teacher when he grows up.

Core concept

A person or thing crosses into a new role or condition that becomes its current state.

Common phrases

  • 成为朋友chéng wéi péng yǒu

    become friends

  • 成为老师chéng wéi lǎo shī

    become a teacher

Similar words

变成biàn chéng: Turn into something different through a change in form or condition.

Definition in Chinese

表示从一种情况或身份转为另一种，侧重表明变化后的新状态或角色。biǎo shì cóng yì zhǒng qíng kuàng huò shēn fèn zhuǎn wéi lìng yì zhǒng cè zhòng biǎo míng biàn huà hòu de xīn zhuàng tài huò jué sè

Word origin

The compound 成为 (chéngwéi, "become") uses 成 (chéng, "to become") for arrival at a result and 为 (wéi, "to be or act as") for the resulting role.

Usage tips

  • 成为 (chéngwéi, "become") commonly comes before a noun that names the new status, such as a leader, member, or friend, making the sentence pattern easy to spot.

Word lists with this word