成功
chénggōng · HSK 3
succeed
🏆 成 = accomplish + 功 = merit/achievement; together: accomplish merit = succeed
成 means to complete or accomplish; 功 means merit, work, or achievement (as in 功夫 kung fu = skill from effort). Combined, 成功 literally reads as 'accomplish merit' — to bring an effort to a successful result.
成 — 戊 (halberd/weapon) + 丁 (nail/man)
Originally a pictograph of a halberd or axe-like weapon, suggesting the act of completing a task by force. Over time it shifted from 'to subdue' to the broader meaning 'to accomplish' or 'to become'. The 丁 element inside also hints at the chéng sound.
功 — work 工 (phonetic) + strength 力 (semantic)
功 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 力 (strength, a pictograph of a plow or flexed arm) gives the meaning, while 工 (work, originally a carpenter's square) supplies the sound. Together they convey effort applied to work — hence 'achievement, merit, accomplishment.'