成熟
chéngshú · HSK 3
mature
🍑 成 = become/accomplish + 熟 = cooked/ripe → fully ripened
成 carries the sense of completion or accomplishment, and 熟 originally meant cooked food, later extended to ripe fruit. Together they describe something that has finished developing — a ripe peach, or a person grown into maturity.
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.
熟 — 享 (offering) + 灬 (fire)
Originally written 孰, depicting hands offering food (享) for cooking. The fire radical 灬 was later added to emphasize cooking with heat. The core sense 'cooked' extended naturally to 'ripe,' 'familiar,' and 'skilled through repeated practice.'