城
chéng · city / city wall💡 How to pronounce
ch → like the 'ch' in 'chop' with curled tongue. éng → like 'ung' in 'sung' but with a rising tone.
📖 The Story
城 means city — a place with walls, gates, and the people who live inside. The character shows an earth rampart (土) and a city gate (成). In ancient China, cities were fortresses — places of safety and civilization, surrounded by walls that protected everything inside.
🎬 In Culture Today
Xi'an still has its ancient city walls, and you can walk or bike on top of them. The Forbidden City in Beijing is the world's largest palace complex — a city within a city.
📚 Words
📝 Example Sentences
这座城市很美丽。
This city is beautiful.
长城很壮观。
The Great Wall is magnificent.