How to Write 城 (chéng) — Meaning “city; city wall”

Imagine a city wall made of earth (土) that has been successfully completed (成, meaning "to become" or "to accomplish"). So you can think: "The city wall is completed from earth." This connects the components to the meaning.

Write the left radical 土 with a horizontal line first, then vertical, then bottom horizontal. The right side 成 starts with a horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke, and so on. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep the 土 narrow and the 成 balanced so the character fits in a square shape.

城 uses the earth radical 土 and means "city" or "city wall." 圻 (qí) also has 土 but means "boundary" or "border" and is very rare in modern Chinese. 圼 (niè) is an ancient character meaning "to harm" or "to rebel" and is not used today. 城 is the only common one among them.

城 is most often seen in 城市 (chéng shì, city) and 长城 (Cháng Chéng, the Great Wall). The Great Wall is a major cultural symbol of China, and the character 城 in its name emphasizes its original function as a defensive wall. You also use 城里 (chéng lǐ) to mean "downtown" or "inside the city."

Common words containing 城 include: 城市 (chéng shì) — city; 长城 (cháng chéng) — the Great Wall; 城里 (chéng lǐ) — In the city; downtown..