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逞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
逞chěngindulge oneself; brag, show offvg, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
逞chěngto show offunknown, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
逞chěngto flauntunknown, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
逞chěngto carry out or succeed in a schemeunknown, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
逞chěngto indulgeunknown, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
逞chěngto give free rein tounknown, 10 strokes, radical 辶, rank #13638, Very Hard
chěng(cheng3) T3
  1. 1indulge oneself; brag, show off
  2. 2to show off
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

逞chěng(cheng3)

The character 逞 (chěng) conveys the idea of indulging oneself or showing off. It is often used in contexts where individuals boast about their achievements or flaunt their abilities, sometimes to the point of arrogance. Its nuances can suggest both playful self-indulgence and a more negative connotation of bragging.

Strokes10Radical辶Frequency#13638DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, humility is highly valued, making the act of showing off or bragging (逞) often frowned upon. This character reflects the tension between individual achievement and societal expectations of modesty.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person at a party, 'chěng'ing (showing off) while holding a trophy. The left part 走 (zǒu) suggests movement, while the right part 成 (chéng) means to succeed, together hinting at someone who is flaunting their success and moving through life with confidence.

Meanings of 逞

chěng(cheng3)
1indulge oneself; brag, show off
2to show off
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 逞

逞Simplified
10Strokes
辶Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 逞

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Podcast: 逞

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AI Study Notes for 逞

Quick Contrast

炫 (xuàn) — use 逞 when emphasizing self-indulgence or arrogance, while 炫 focuses more on showing off in a flashy manner.

Usage Notes

Be aware that 逞 can carry a negative connotation, especially if used in formal contexts. Common collocations include 逞强 (chěngqiáng, to show off one's strength) and 逞口舌 (chěng kǒushé, to show off verbally). A common mistake is using it in overly formal settings, where it may sound unrefined.

HSK Study Tips

While 逞 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be linked to themes of boasting and self-promotion common in HSK Level 4 and above. Focus on understanding its usage with adjectives and verbs related to self-expression.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 逞 with 成 (chéng, to succeed) due to their similar appearance. For example, saying '我逞了我的成绩' (I showed off my results) is incorrect; it should be '我炫耀了我的成绩' (I flaunted my results).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 逞

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Etymology of 逞

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 呈 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

walk

Semantic (meaning)辶
+
Phonetic (sound)呈
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 逞

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 呈 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half辶 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half呈 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywalk
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 逞? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 逞?

Decomposition of 逞

IDS Structure⿺辶呈
逞Full Character
=
辶chuo4
enclosing
呈cheng2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 逞?

How to say indulge oneself; brag, show off in Chinese

“indulge oneself; brag, show off” in Chinese is逞chěng

The character 逞 (chěng) conveys the idea of indulging oneself or showing off. It is often used in contexts where individuals boast about their achievements or flaunt their abilities, sometimes to the point of arrogance. Its nuances can suggest both playful self-indulgence and a more negative connotation of bragging.

When to use 逞

Be aware that 逞 can carry a negative connotation, especially if used in formal contexts. Common collocations include 逞强 (chěngqiáng, to show off one's strength) and 逞口舌 (chěng kǒushé, to show off verbally). A common mistake is using it in overly formal settings, where it may sound unrefined.

逞 or something close to it

炫 (xuàn) — use 逞 when emphasizing self-indulgence or arrogance, while 炫 focuses more on showing off in a flashy manner.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 逞 with 成 (chéng, to succeed) due to their similar appearance. For example, saying '我逞了我的成绩' (I showed off my results) is incorrect; it should be '我炫耀了我的成绩' (I flaunted my results).

Write 逞

逞

Practice writing 逞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 逞

逞 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

住手吧，佩里。你已经____过英雄了。现在一切都结束了。

Cut it out, Perry. You've performed your heroics. It's all over now.

Example Sentences for 逞 (3)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
住手吧，佩里。你已经逞过英雄了。现在一切都结束了。

zhù shǒu bā， ， pèi。 lǐ 。 nǐ yǐ jīng chěng guò yīng。 xióng le 。 xiàn zài yī qiē dū。

Cut it out, Perry. You've performed your heroics. It's all over now.
2
如果他存心要让你不得安宁的话，那他是得逞了。

rú guǒ tā cún xīn yào ràng nǐ bù dé ān níng de huà， ， nà tā shì dé chěng。

If he's trying to rattle your cage, it's working.
3
我知道她是不幸的, 尽管她嘴上逞强.

wǒ zhī dào tā shì bù xìng de, , jìn guǎn tā zuǐ shàng chěng.

I know she's unhappy, all her brave talk to the contrary.

Word Family of 逞

Words Containing This Character5
得逞to prevail
逞chěngto show off
逞强chěngqiángto show off逞強
逞能chěngnéngto show off one's ability
不逞之徒desperado
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 得逞 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 逞

Not necessarily; it can imply playful boasting but often carries a negative connotation, especially in formal settings.

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