充

• Pinyin: chōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 充 = 亠 (lid/top) + 允 (to permit, phonetic) = to fill/充满

Meaning

To fill; to charge (a battery or account); to serve as; to pretend to be.

Versatile verb used for filling containers, charging devices or accounts, serving as a substitute, or pretending. Common in compounds like 充电 (charge), 充值 (top up), 充当 (serve as).

Examples

1. 手机没电了，我先充一下。 My phone is dead; let me charge it for a bit.
2. 他把自己的积蓄充进了游戏账户。 He deposited all his savings into his game account.
3. 紧急情况下矿泉水瓶可以充当热水袋。 In an emergency, a water bottle can serve as a hot water bag.

Usage Guide

Context: electronics, daily life, finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 公交卡余额不足，需要充点钱。(The transit card balance is low; I need to top it up.)
• 这个充电宝可以给手机充三次电。(This power bank can charge a phone three times.)

Don't Say

• 充水到杯子里 (Say 倒水 or 装水 for pouring water into a cup; 充 is for abstract filling)

Origin & History

Ancient character originally depicting fullness or completeness. The modern form shows 亠 (lid) + 允 (to allow), suggesting filling to capacity.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal