Two-character design guide

Chinese Symbol for Success 成功: Tattoo & Meaning

成功 (chéng gōng) means success or to succeed. It describes achievement or completion, but it is not a guarantee that a particular goal will be reached.

Pinyin chéng gōngStrokes 11 across 2 charactersMeaning success, to succeedTraditional 成功

Quick answer: 成功 (chénggōng) means success or to succeed. 胜利 usually means victory, 成就 means an achievement or accomplishment, and 成功 is broader; none of them guarantees a specific result.

What does 成功 mean?

成功 (chéng gōng) means success or to succeed. 成 relates to completing, becoming or accomplishing, while 功 relates to merit, achievement or result. The combination is a common word used for personal goals, projects, careers and collective efforts.

成功, 胜利 and 成就

胜利 (shèng lì) usually means victory, especially in a contest, struggle or campaign. 成就 (chéng jiù) means an achievement or accomplishment and often sounds more concrete or career-related. 成功 is broader: it can describe succeeding at a task or reaching a desired result. They overlap but are not interchangeable.

Is 成功 suitable for a tattoo or design?

Yes, if the intended meaning is success or achievement. The phrase has 11 strokes across two characters and remains readable in regular script at moderate sizes. Keep the two characters balanced and avoid turning the strokes into decorative flourishes that change their structure.

Design notes

ScriptRegular script keeps the internal strokes of 成 and 功 legible.

ScaleModerate or larger sizes protect the hooked strokes and internal spacing.

ContextUse it as an aspiration or value, not as a promise of wealth, promotion or victory.

Is 成功 used in Chinese names?

成功 is usually a motto, brand phrase or aspirational word rather than a standard personal given name. A personal name using the two characters would need a full surname, sound and written-form review.

What it does not mean

成功 does not guarantee financial gain, career advancement, fame or a specific outcome. It should not be used as a substitute for planning, feedback or realistic limits.

Common mistakes

Using 成功 when 胜利 or 成就 would fit the sentence better.
Treating the phrase as a guarantee of a successful result.
Using a highly ornate style that obscures the two character structures.
Pairing it with wording that turns a personal value into a financial promise.

Chinese success character questions

What is the Chinese symbol for success?

成功 (chéng gōng) is the common Chinese word for success or to succeed. It is broader than 胜利 (victory) or 成就 (achievement).

What is the difference between 成功, 胜利 and 成就?

成功 is the broad word for succeeding at something. 胜利 usually means victory in a contest or struggle, and 成就 means an achievement or accomplishment.

Does 成功 guarantee success?

No. The phrase expresses the idea of success or achievement. It does not guarantee wealth, promotion, victory or any specific result.

How do you write success in traditional Chinese?

成功 is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese, so there is no character-form change for this phrase.

Is 成功 used in Chinese names?

It is usually a motto, brand phrase or aspirational word rather than a standard personal given name. A personal name using the two characters would need a full surname, sound and written-form review.

Related character guides

勇气 courage 梦想 dream 希望 hope 坚持 perseverance 自由 freedom 健康 health 友谊 friendship 勇 courage 竹 bamboo 道 the way 静 stillness 喜 joy Find a symbol by meaning How we verify

Reference data

Character identity and the fields below are taken from the Unicode Unihan database (Unicode 18.0.0), the reference dataset published by the Unicode Consortium. Stroke counts follow the Unihan counting convention.

成U+6210 · 7 strokes (Unihan kTotalStrokes) · radical 戈 62 · Mandarin chéng · Cantonese sing4 · “completed, finished, fixed”

功U+529F · 5 strokes (Unihan kTotalStrokes) · radical 力 19 · Mandarin gōng · Cantonese gung1 · “achievement, merit, good result”

Source: Unicode Unihan database, Unicode 18.0.0, generated 2026-09-25.

Word comparison

Success in Chinese: 成功, 胜利, 成就 and 顺利

Success in Chinese is usually 成功 (chéng gōng), but English “success” covers victory, achievement and things going smoothly. The table separates those senses so a design, brand or sentence does not pick a word that means something slightly different. Success written as cheng gong in romanised form points to 成功.

Success in Chinese: 成功, 胜利, 成就 and related words
Chinese	Pinyin	Core sense	Use and caution
成功	chéng gōng	Success; to succeed	The broad default word for succeeding at something; works as a compact two-character design.
成	chéng	To complete, become, accomplish	The core character for completion; too broad to carry “success” on its own.
功	gōng	Merit, achievement, result	Used in 成功 and 功夫; on its own it means merit or effort, not success.
胜利	shèng lì	Victory	Specifically winning a contest, struggle or campaign; stronger and more adversarial than 成功.
成就	chéng jiù	Achievement, accomplishment	A concrete result or career achievement; sounds more formal than 成功.
顺利	shùn lì	Smooth, without difficulty	Describes progress going well, not success at a goal.
发财	fā cái	To get rich, to make a fortune	About money specifically; not a synonym for general success.

The gong in 成功 is 功, meaning merit or achievement, and the full cheng gong word means success or to succeed. If the intended meaning is winning a contest, 胜利 is closer; if it is a concrete accomplishment, 成就 fits; if it is things going smoothly, 顺利 is the right word. 成功 is the safe default for a general success design.

Questions about success in Chinese

What is success in Chinese?

Success in Chinese is 成功 (chéng gōng), meaning success or to succeed. It is broader than 胜利 (victory) and 成就 (achievement).

What does cheng gong mean?

Cheng gong is the romanisation of 成功 (chéng gōng), which means success or to succeed. 成 relates to completion and 功 to merit or achievement.

What is the gong in 成功?

The gong in 成功 is 功 (gōng), which means merit, achievement or result. On its own 功 does not mean success; the meaning comes from the combination 成功.

What is the difference between 成功, 胜利, 成就 and 顺利?

成功 means success at a goal, 胜利 means victory in a contest, 成就 means an achievement, and 顺利 means going smoothly without difficulty.

How many strokes does 成功 have?

成 has 6 strokes and 功 has 5, for 11 strokes in total. Both characters are written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.

What does 失败是成功之母 mean?

It means “failure is the mother of success,” framing setbacks as a step toward eventual success rather than its opposite.

What is the difference between 成功 and 胜利?

成功 means achieving a goal or doing something well. 胜利 means victory and leans toward competitions, contests and conflicts.

Can 成 or 功 be used alone?

They can appear alone, but the meanings shift: 成 leans toward “become/complete” and 功 toward “merit/achievement.” The pair 成功 reads as “success.”

Does 成功 promise success?

No. It expresses the idea of achievement. It does not guarantee any outcome and should not be treated as a talisman.

What is the difference between 成 and 功?

成 can mean to complete, accomplish or become, while 功 means merit, achievement or skill. 成功 combines them into the ordinary word for success.

What does 马到成功 mean?

马到成功 (mǎ dào chéng gōng) wishes for success as soon as the horse arrives; it is used for a new project, examination, competition or journey and expresses a wish rather than a guarantee.

What does 功成名就 mean?

功成名就 (gōng chéng míng jiù) means to achieve merit and fame. It is more literary and long-term than 马到成功 and often describes a career or life achievement.

Is 成功 a good Chinese name?

成功 is an ordinary word meaning success, not a typical ready-made personal name. Individual characters such as 成 or 功 can appear in names, but the surname, sound and full-name combination must be checked.

Character and word

成 and 功 are separate ideas before they become 成功

成 can mean to complete, accomplish, become or turn into. 功 can mean merit, achievement, skill or the result of effort. 成功 combines the two into the ordinary word for success, but the characters do not claim that every effort ends well or that a person has achieved a permanent status.

成, 功 and related success words
Chinese	Pinyin	Core sense	Use note
成	chéng	Complete, accomplish, become	A process or result; one character is broader than “success”.
功	gōng	Merit, achievement, skill	Often about effort, contribution or accomplishment.
成功	chéng gōng	Success; to succeed	The standard noun or verb; the page’s main phrase.
顺利	shùn lì	Smooth, without obstacles	About the process going well, not necessarily a final achievement.
圆满	yuán mǎn	Complete and satisfactory	Often describes an event or outcome that is fully concluded.

Idioms and fixed phrases

马到成功, 功成名就 and 事业有成

These phrases can all be translated with the word “success”, but they describe different timescales and situations. 马到成功 wishes for quick success, especially in a new venture, examination or journey. 功成名就 describes the long-term achievement of merit and reputation. 事业有成 is a formal way to wish someone a successful career.

Chinese success phrases and contexts
Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Typical use
马到成功	mǎ dào chéng gōng	May success arrive as soon as the horse does	New project, exam, business trip or competition.
功成名就	gōng chéng míng jiù	To achieve merit and fame	Long-term career or life achievement; literary and formal.
事业有成	shì yè yǒu chéng	To have a successful career	Wishes for work, career or professional life.
成功学	chéng gōng xué	Success literature or self-help theory	Describes the genre; it can sound commercial or critical, not like a personal blessing.

Names and designs

成功 is an ordinary word, not a ready-made personal name

成功 can be written on a motivational design, but it is also a normal noun or verb. A personal name normally uses individual characters such as 成 or 功 in a larger combination, not the whole word copied onto a certificate. Check the surname, sound and whether the full name reads like an everyday phrase before treating it as a name.

For a tattoo or logo, the design promise should stay modest. The phrase expresses a goal or a wish. It does not guarantee a business result, exam result or permanent status. If the project needs a checked wording, follow the request page rather than assuming that a dictionary meaning is enough.

Writing and usage

Writing 成功: 11 strokes across two characters

成功 is a two-character word: 成 (chéng) has 6 strokes and 功 (gōng) has 5, for 11 strokes in total. Both are written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese, which is convenient for a permanent design. Write 成 first, then 功. 成 is the denser of the two, with an enclosed stroke group on the right; 功 pairs 工 with 力, the component for effort or force. Keep the 力 of 功 visible at small sizes, because it can otherwise collapse into a vertical stroke.

成功 in common words and sayings

成功 appears in 成功人士 (“a successful person”), 取得成功 (“to achieve success”), 成功经验 (“successful experience”) and 圆满成功 (“complete success”). A well-known proverb is 失败是成功之母 — “failure is the mother of success” — which frames setbacks as a step toward success rather than its opposite. 大功告成 means a major task is completed. Read together, these phrases show that 成功 in Chinese usually means the completion or achievement of a goal, not a permanent status a person holds.

成功 vs 胜利 vs 成就 vs 圆满

成功 means achieving a goal or doing something well. 胜利 means victory, and it leans toward competitions, conflicts and contests. 成就 is achievement or accomplishment, often a body of results over time. 圆满 means complete and satisfactory, often used for an event that concludes without problems. They overlap but are not interchangeable: a business can be 成功, a team can win 胜利, a career can have 成就, and an event can end 圆满.

Success as a design and what it does not promise

成功 is a word, not a single symbol, so a design should carry both characters together or clearly explain which one is used. Alone, 成 leans toward “to become, to complete” and 功 toward “merit, achievement,” so splitting the pair changes the reading. As a tattoo or logo element, 成功 expresses the idea of achievement; it does not guarantee success, wealth or a particular outcome, and it should not be presented as a talisman. For a permanent piece, confirm the exact form with a fluent reader and test the drawing at the final size.

Need a human check for success?

Send the complete character or phrase you are considering for success, the intended placement and whether you need simplified or traditional writing. A reply can explain the reading, usage and context limits before you use it permanently.

Request a character check See what a wording check covers