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盛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
盛shèngto holdHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngto containHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngflourishingHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngto ladleHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngvigorousHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngto pick up with a utensilHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngmagnificentHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngextensivelyHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngabundant, flourishing; to contain; to fillHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛shèngsurname ShengHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngto holdHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngto containHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngflourishingHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngto ladleHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngvigorousHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngto pick up with a utensilHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngmagnificentHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngextensivelyHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngabundant, flourishing; to contain; to fillHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
盛chéngsurname ShengHSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10989, Hard
chéng(cheng2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1to hold
  2. 2to contain
Also a Chinese surname, Sheng — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

盛chéng(cheng2)

The character 盛 (chéng) primarily means 'to hold' or 'to contain.' It is commonly used in contexts related to abundance or flourishing, such as 盛开 (shèngkāi), meaning 'to bloom profusely.' Additionally, it can refer to a surname and is often associated with magnificence or vitality.

Strokes11Radical皿Frequency#10989DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 盛 is often associated with festivals and celebrations where abundance and prosperity are emphasized, such as during the Lunar New Year when families prepare lavish feasts, symbolizing a prosperous year ahead.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large盛 (chéng) bowl that is overflowing with delicious food, symbolizing abundance. The character's form includes the radical for 'container' (皿), hinting at its meaning of holding or containing something within.

Meanings of 盛

chéng(cheng2)
primary
1to hold
2to contain
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 盛

盛Simplified
11Strokes
皿Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10989Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 盛

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Podcast: 盛

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AI Study Notes for 盛

Quick Contrast

盛 (chéng) vs 装 (zhuāng) — use 盛 when emphasizing abundance or flourishing, while 装 focuses on the act of packing or filling something.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 盛 (chéng) with other similar-sounding characters, such as 城 (chéng), which means 'city.' This word is more formal and is often used in literary contexts, so it's less common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 盛情 (shèngqíng, warm hospitality) and 盛会 (shènghuì, grand gathering).

HSK Study Tips

As a level 6 HSK word, 盛 (chéng) connects well with other words describing abundance or flourishing, such as 丰富 (fēngfù, rich) and 繁荣 (fánróng, prosperous). Focus on how this word can be used in different contexts to express vitality and richness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 盛 (chéng) and 省 (shěng), which means 'to save' or 'to economize.' For example, saying '我想省水' (Wǒ xiǎng chéng shuǐ) is incorrect; it should be '我想省水' to mean 'I want to save water.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 盛

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Etymology of 盛

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

Phonosemantic compound. 皿 represents the meaning and 成 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

dish

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 盛

Phonosemantic compound. 皿 represents the meaning and 成 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half皿 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half成 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydish
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 盛? 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 盛?

Decomposition of 盛

IDS Structure⿱成皿
盛Full Character
=
成Cheng2
top
皿min3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 盛?

How to say to hold in Chinese

“to hold” in Chinese is盛shèng

The character 盛 (chéng) primarily means 'to hold' or 'to contain.' It is commonly used in contexts related to abundance or flourishing, such as 盛开 (shèngkāi), meaning 'to bloom profusely.' Additionally, it can refer to a surname and is often associated with magnificence or vitality.

When to use 盛

Be careful not to confuse 盛 (chéng) with other similar-sounding characters, such as 城 (chéng), which means 'city.' This word is more formal and is often used in literary contexts, so it's less common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 盛情 (shèngqíng, warm hospitality) and 盛会 (shènghuì, grand gathering).

盛 or something close to it

盛 (chéng) vs 装 (zhuāng) — use 盛 when emphasizing abundance or flourishing, while 装 focuses on the act of packing or filling something.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 盛 (chéng) and 省 (shěng), which means 'to save' or 'to economize.' For example, saying '我想省水' (Wǒ xiǎng chéng shuǐ) is incorrect; it should be '我想省水' to mean 'I want to save water.'

Write 盛

盛

Practice writing 盛 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 盛

盛 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 10 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 4

Complete the Sentence

阿根廷____夏的酷热真让我大吃一惊。

I was simply staggered by the heat of the Argentinian high-summer.

Example Sentences for 盛 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
阿根廷盛夏的酷热真让我大吃一惊。

ā gēn tíng shèng xià de kù rè zhēn ràng wǒ dà chī yī jīng。

I was simply staggered by the heat of the Argentinian high-summer.
2
这个组合的首张专辑一经推出便被盛赞为嘻哈乐的经典之作。

zhè gè zǔ hé de shǒu zhāng zhuān jí yī jīng tuī chū biàn bèi shèng zàn wéi xī hā lè de jīng diǎn zhī zuò。

The group's debut album was immediately acclaimed a hip hop classic.
3
应该将盛行风的方向考虑在内。

yīng gāi jiāng shèng háng fēng de fāng xiàng kǎo lǜ zài nèi。

The direction of the prevailing winds should be taken into account.
4
我认为你自己就有些过于盛气凌人。

wǒ rèn wéi nǐ zì jǐ jiù yǒu xiē guò yú shèng qì líng rén。

I think you're a bit too high and mighty yourself.
5
最初是什么让你来到华盛顿的？

zuì chū shì shí mó ràng nǐ lái dào huá shèng dùn de？

What brought you to Washington in the first place?
6
你没必要为这次聚会而着盛装。

nǐ méi bì yào wéi zhè cì jù huì ér zháo shèng zhuāng。

You don't have to get dressed up for this party.
7
城市公园是理想去处，那里几乎一年四季鲜花盛开。

chéng shì gōng yuán shì lǐ xiǎng qù chǔ， ， nà lǐ jī hū yī nián sì jì xiān huā shèng。

Town gardens are ideal because they produce flowers nearly all year round.
8
玻璃瓶中盛满了被食用色素染过色的水。

bō lí píng zhōng shèng mǎn le bèi shí yòng sè sù rǎn guò sè de shuǐ。

Glass bottles are filled with water tinted with food colourings.
9
这将是我们参加过的最盛大的感恩节晚餐。

zhè jiāng shì wǒ mén cān jiā guò de zuì shèng dà de gǎn ēn jié wǎn cān。

It's going to be the most magnificent Thanksgiving dinner we ever had.
10
这是英国体坛大事表上最负盛名的赛事之一。

zhè shì yīng guó tǐ tán dà shì biǎo shàng zuì fù shèng míng de sài shì zhī yī。

It is one of the British sporting calendar's most prestigious events.

Word Family of 盛

Compounds1
墭
Words Containing This Character20
华盛顿Washington (name)華盛頓
盛chéngvigorous
盛大shèngdàgrand
旺盛wàngshèngvigorous
盛宴feast
盛会shènghuìpageant盛會
丰盛fēngshèngrich豐盛
盛典majestic pomp
盛开shèngkāiblooming盛開
盛行shèngxíngto be in vogue
盛装rich attire盛裝
盛名famous reputation
盛世a flourishing period
盛事grand occasion
盛夏midsummer
盛情shèngqínggreat kindness
盛产shèngchǎnto be rich in盛產
鼎盛flourishing
盛况grand occasion盛況
华盛顿州Washington, US State華盛頓州
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 华盛顿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 盛

Common phrases include 盛情 (shèngqíng, warm hospitality) and 盛开 (shèngkāi, to bloom profusely).

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