成 (chéng) as a verb means "to become, to succeed"; as a resultative complement it means the action results in something turning into, taking shape as, or ending up as a new form. Its signature feature sets it apart from every other resultative on these pages: 成 almost always takes an object naming what the thing becomes. 变 (biàn, "change") plus 成 plus 冰 (bīng, "ice") gives 变成冰 — "change into ice." This is Chinese's standard way of rendering English "into" and "as" after verbs of transforming, converting, and creating, and the result noun is not optional.
成 + Noun = "into / as"
The pattern is V + 成 + [the new form]. The verb tells you the process — change, translate, exchange, divide, write, cut — and 成 + Noun names the outcome.
| Verb + 成 | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 变成 | biàn chéng | turn into, become |
| 翻译成 | fānyì chéng | translate into |
| 换成 | huàn chéng | change into, swap for |
| 分成 | fēn chéng | divide into |
| 切成 | qiē chéng | cut into |
| 写成 | xiě chéng | write as |
| 当成 | dàng chéng | take/regard as |
| 做成 | zuò chéng | make into; pull off |
天气一冷，水就变成了冰。
tiānqì yì lěng, shuǐ jiù biàn chéng le bīng
As soon as it turns cold, the water becomes ice. (neutral) — 变成冰 = turns into ice.
请把这句话翻译成英文。
qǐng bǎ zhè jù huà fānyì chéng Yīngwén
Please translate this sentence into English. (neutral) — 翻译成英文 = render as English.
我想把美元换成人民币。
wǒ xiǎng bǎ měiyuán huàn chéng rénmínbì
I'd like to change dollars into RMB. (neutral) — 换成 = swap one form for another.
The result noun is obligatory
This is where English speakers slip. In English you can say "please translate it" and leave the target language to context; in Chinese, 成 grammatically demands the noun that names the result. 翻译成 by itself is unfinished — it's like saying "translate into…" and stopping. Always close it.
老师把我们分成了四个小组。
lǎoshī bǎ wǒmen fēn chéng le sì ge xiǎozǔ
The teacher split us into four small groups. (neutral) — 分成四个小组 names the outcome.
把西红柿切成小块，放进锅里。
bǎ xīhóngshì qiē chéng xiǎo kuài, fàng jìn guō li
Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and put them in the pot. (informal) — 切成小块 = cut into chunks.
别把我的玩笑当成真的。
bié bǎ wǒ de wánxiào dàng chéng zhēn de
Don't take my joke as something real. (informal) — 当成真的 = regard as genuine.
Note how naturally 成 sits inside a 把 sentence: you take a definite thing (把这句话, 把美元) and transform it into the named result. Transformation of a specific object is exactly what 把 is built for.
The "accomplish" sense, negation, and the potential
成's other flavour is success — the process didn't just happen, it came off. 做成 (pull off), 办成 (get done), 谈成 (successfully negotiate). Here 成 needn't take a form-noun; it marks that the effort reached fruition.
谈了三个月，这笔生意终于谈成了。
tán le sān ge yuè, zhè bǐ shēngyì zhōngyú tán chéng le
After three months of talks, the deal finally came together. (neutral) — 谈成 = negotiated successfully.
Negate the completed sense with 没 — 没做成 = "didn't pull it off / fell through." The potential form 做得成 / 做不成, 变得成 / 变不成 asks about feasibility, and is covered on the 得/不 potentials page.
那件事最后没做成，太可惜了。
nà jiàn shì zuìhòu méi zuò chéng, tài kěxī le
That plan didn't come off in the end — what a shame. (informal) — 没做成 = it fell through.
Common Mistakes
1. Dropping the result noun. 成 needs to say into what; leaving it off is ungrammatical.
❌ 请你帮我翻译成。
Incorrect — 成 demands the target: translate into *what*?
✅ 请你帮我翻译成中文。
qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ fānyì chéng Zhōngwén
Please help me translate it into Chinese. (neutral) — 成中文 completes it.
2. Using 到 where 成 is needed. 到 marks reaching a point or place; transforming into a new form is 成.
❌ 水会变到冰。
Incorrect — becoming a new substance is 变成, not 变到.
✅ 水会变成冰。
shuǐ huì biàn chéng bīng
Water turns into ice. (neutral) — 变成 for transformation.
3. Using 变 without 成 for "turn into X." Bare 变 means "change"; "turn into something" needs 成 to attach the result.
❌ 蝌蚪慢慢变了青蛙。
Incorrect — 'turn into a frog' needs 变成青蛙, not 变了.
✅ 蝌蚪慢慢变成了青蛙。
kēdǒu mànman biàn chéng le qīngwā
The tadpoles slowly turned into frogs. (neutral) — 变成 attaches the new form.
4. Negating the accomplishment sense with 不. A plan that fell through is 没做成, not 不做成.
❌ 这件事不做成。
Incorrect — reads as 'won't do it'; 'it didn't come off' is 没做成.
✅ 这件事没做成。
zhè jiàn shì méi zuò chéng
This didn't come off. (neutral) — 没 for the unreached success.
Key Takeaways
- 成 (chéng) means the action results in something turning into or ending up as a new form: 变成, 翻译成, 换成, 分成, 切成.
- It's Chinese's "into / as" — and the noun naming the result is obligatory (翻译成英文, not just 翻译成).
- A second sense is success: 做成, 谈成, 办成 = pulled off, came together.
- Don't swap in 到 (that marks reaching, not transforming), and don't drop the 成 after 变.
- Negate with 没 (没做成); express feasibility with the potential (做不成).
Now practice Chinese
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- Resultative 到: Attainment and SuccessHSK 3 — 到 (dào) is the resultative of success — 找到 (find), 买到 (manage to buy), 收到 (receive), 看到 (catch sight of), 想到 (think of) — turning an attempt into an achieved goal that English hides inside single verbs.
- 把 with Resultative & Directional ComplementsHSK 3 — 把 finds its most natural home with resultative and directional complements — disposing of a definite object and stating the result: 把衣服洗干净了, 把书拿出来, 把垃圾扔掉.
- Resultative Complements 结果补语HSK 2 — A resultative complement 结果补语 welds a second verb or adjective onto the main verb to name the result it achieves — 吃完 (eat up), 听懂 (understand), 看见 (see), 洗干净 (wash clean) — negated with 没, never 不.