成立
chénglì · HSK 3
establish
🏛️ 成 = become/accomplish + 立 = stand → 'stand accomplished' = be founded
成 carries the sense of completion or achievement; 立 means to stand upright or set up. Together they mean a thing has been set up and stands — a company is founded, an argument holds water, a theory is tenable.
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.
立 — person standing on ground (大 over 一)
Pictograph of a person standing with arms outstretched on the ground line below. The original oracle bone form clearly shows a frontal human figure planted on the earth. The core meaning 'to stand' extended to 'establish, set up, erect.'