成长
chéngzhǎng · HSK 3
grow up
🌱 成 = become/complete + 长 = grow/long → become long = grow up
成 carries the sense of completing or becoming, while 长 means long or to grow. Together they mean to grow up or mature — to become long(er) over time. Same 长 appears in 长大 (grow big).
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.
长 — pictograph of long-haired person with cane
Originally a pictograph showing a person with long, flowing hair leaning on a cane, representing an elder. The meaning extended from 'long hair' to 'long' in general, and also to 'elder' or 'to grow' (read zhǎng). The modern form 长 is a simplification of the traditional 長.