成人

• Pinyin: chéng rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 成 = 戊 (weapon) + 丁 (nail), meaning to become or accomplish; 人 = pictograph of a standing person

Meaning

Adult; grown-up. A person who has reached the age of maturity.

Used both as a noun (an adult person) and as an adjective (for adults). In China, legal adulthood begins at 18. Common in contexts like 成人教育 (adult education), 成人票 (adult ticket), and 成人礼 (coming-of-age ceremony).

Examples

1. 买票的时候，成人票和儿童票的价格不一样。 When buying tickets, the prices for adult and children's tickets are different.
2. 他已经是成人了，应该自己做决定。 He is already an adult and should make his own decisions.
3. 这部电影只适合成人观看。 This film is only suitable for adults to watch.

Usage Guide

Context: official, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 成人应该对自己的行为负责。(Adults should be responsible for their own actions.)
• 这个游泳池分成人区和儿童区。(This swimming pool has separate areas for adults and children.)

Don't Say

• 他已经是一个成人人了 (Don't say 成人人 — 成人 already includes 人; just say 他已经是成人了)

Origin & History

成 means to become or to accomplish; 人 means person. Together they mean someone who has become a full person — an adult.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal