How to Write 呈 (chéng) — Meaning “to present; to submit; to show”

Imagine a person standing before a king and using their mouth (口) to present an important report. The king (王) listens, so the whole image shows "presenting" or "submitting." This mental picture ties the two components directly to the character's core meaning.

Write the top 口 first, making it small and balanced, then add the bottom 王 with three horizontal strokes and one vertical line. The middle horizontal stroke of 王 should be shorter than the top and bottom ones, and the vertical stroke must cross all three horizontals. A common mistake is making 口 too large, which makes the character look top-heavy.

Unlike 呈, which has 口 on top and 王 below, 古 has 十 (ten) above 口, meaning "ancient" or "old." The rare character 卟 (bǔ) has 口 on the left and 卜 on the right and is used for divination or a bird's call. Visually, 呈 is unique with its "king" bottom, while 古 and 卟 have completely different structures and meanings.

呈 appears in formal or official contexts, such as 呈现 (chéngxiàn) meaning "to appear" or "to show," often used for symptoms, scenes, or results. It also appears in 呈报 (chéngbào) for reporting to a superior and 呈请 (chéngqǐng) for submitting a request. Culturally, the character retains a respectful tone, reflecting its historical use in presentating documents to higher authorities.

Common words containing 呈 include: 呈现 (chéng xiàn) — to present; to appear; to emerge; 呈报 (chéng bào) — to report (to a superior); 呈请 (chéng qǐng) — to submit a request; to apply for.