thành

Thành is a Vietnamese word with several related meanings. As a noun, it most commonly refers to a city, including modern urban areas, and historically to a fortress or walled settlement. In classical and historical contexts, thành denotes a fortified city or citadel; in everyday language, the word for city is thành phố, in which thành carries the core sense of “city.” The term also appears in phrases describing forts or defensive walls, such as thành lũy (fortress) and thành cổ (ancient city or fortress).

Etymology and language notes: Thành is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese character 城, read as chéng in Chinese and Thanh/Thành in Vietnamese. In Vietnamese orthography it is written as thành with the appropriate diacritic marks. It functions as a root in many compounds related to urban centers, fortifications, and urban planning.

As a verb, thành can mean to become or to accomplish, and it occurs in many compound verbs and phrases. Examples include thành công (to succeed), thành lập (to establish), and thành tựu (achievement). In this verbal sense, thành conveys the idea of reaching a result or transformation.

Usage in names and places: Thành is a common given name for men in Vietnam. It also appears in place-name constructions and in terms that describe urban areas, such as thành phố (city). In historical contexts, terms featuring thành often denote fortified urban centers or ceremonial capitals.

Overall, thành functions as a versatile morpheme in Vietnamese, linking concepts of city, fortress, and transformation across both historical and contemporary usage.