The Meaning of seikō [成功] In Japanese

成功
せいこう
Romaji: seikō N3

What does 成功 mean?

Translation and Meaning

success, to succeed

Definition

success means achieving a desired outcome through effort; a noun describing favorable results and, with suru, the act of succeeding.

Type

noun (名詞) with suru-verb usage

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • The state of attaining a goal or desired result in any field
  • The act of achieving success through effort and planning
  • A favorable outcome in a project, venture, or competition

Etymology

Reading seikō derived from the on’yomi combination of 成 and 功, borrowed into Japanese via Chinese phonology; the phonetic alignment yields the modern pronunciation.

Origin

First attested in classical Japanese texts influenced by Chinese philosophy; adoption of kanji along with Buddhist and secular discourse helped establish the concept of success.

Composition

  • 成 — to become; complete
  • 功 — merit; achievement
  • The combination expresses achieving merit by completing a goal, i.e., success

Usage

Used in formal and informal contexts to denote successful outcomes; pairs with 成功する to form a verb meaning to succeed; common collocations include 大成功 and 成功を収める in business, academics, sports; typical contexts include announcements, evaluations, and motivational discourse.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a finish line where 成 means becoming and 功 stands for merit; together they remind you that completing an effort earns merit and leads to success.

Variations

  • 成果 (seika) — result or outcome
  • 大成功 (daiseikō) — great success
  • 成功裏に (seikōri ni) — successfully (adverbial form)
  • 失敗 (shippai) — failure (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 彼は就職活動の成功を家族に報告した。
    Kare wa shūshoku katsudō no seikō o kazoku ni hōkoku shita.
    He told his family about his job-hunting success.
    Lista:
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 就職活動の (shūshoku katsudō no) – of job hunting
    • 成功を (seikō o) – the success
    • 家族に (kazoku ni) – to family
    • 報告した (hōkoku shita) – reported
    「成功」 is used as a noun here; 就職活動の成功 forms a noun phrase meaning ‘the success of job hunting’, with の linking the words, and を marking the object of 報告した.
成功