成長
せいちょう · seichou · JLPT N3 · noun
growth
🌱 成長 = become + long: you grow when you become longer
成 means become or achieve, and 長 means long or grow. It's the same 長 as in 社長 (company head). Sound hook: seichou ≈ say chow, and eating your chow is how kids grow.
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.