组成

• Pinyin: zǔ chéng
• Hanzi breakdown: 组 = 纟 (silk radical) + 且 (phonetic); 成 = 戈 (weapon) + a phonetic element, meaning 'to complete'

Meaning

To form; to make up; to compose. To combine parts into a whole.

Used to describe how individual parts come together to form a complete unit. Common in both everyday speech and more formal contexts. Often appears in the pattern '由...组成' (to be composed of...).

Examples

1. 这个队由十个人组成。 This team is made up of ten people.
2. 水是由什么组成的？ What is water composed of?
3. 我们组成了一个学习小组。 We formed a study group.

Usage Guide

Context: education, everyday, work

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 这个班由三十个学生组成。(This class is made up of thirty students.)
• 我们组成了一个足球队。(We formed a football team.)

Don't Say

• 他组成了很高兴。(组成 means to form/compose something — don't use it to describe emotions. Say 他变得很高兴.)

Origin & History

Compound of 组 (group/organize) and 成 (to become/accomplish), literally 'organize into completion.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal