How to Say "Grow Up" in Chinese

长大

zhǎngdà

To grow up in Chinese is 长大 (zhǎngdà).

The term 长大 is used both for the physical process of growing and the developmental process of becoming an adult.

Meaning: to mature and become an adult (verb)

What does it mean word for word?

The character 长 (zhǎng) means to grow or increase in size.

Adding the particle 了 (le) after 长大 indicates a change of state, such as 'has grown up'.

zhǎngdà

To describe someone who refuses to grow up, Chinese speakers use the term 巨婴 (jùyīng), which literally translates to 'giant baby'.
In traditional contexts, the process of 'growing up' was historically marked by the 'hair-pinning ceremony' for girls and the 'capping ceremony' for boys, which were the cultural equivalents of becoming an adult.
The character 长 is a rare example of a word with two different pronunciations that change the meaning entirely. When pronounced 'zhǎng' it means to grow but when pronounced 'cháng' it means long.

我不想长大。
I don't want to grow up.
This sentence shows how to express a lack of desire to grow up using 长大.
Tatoeba #3839406 by sadhen, translation #3709621 by CK
我希望你能长大。
I want you to grow up.
This sentence expresses a wish for someone else to grow up using 长大.
Tatoeba #3839485 by sadhen, translation #2011690 by CK
长大后你想作什么？
What do you want to be when you grow up?
This sentence is a common way to ask about someone's future ambitions after they grow up using 长大.
Tatoeba #12687085 by soueihin, translation #15915 by CK
他长大后成为一名医生
He became a doctor when he grew up
当你成年后，你能自己做决定
When you grow up, you can make your own decisions
他长大了，变得更加成熟
He has grown up and become more mature
他长成了一位出色的音乐家
He has grown up to be an outstanding musician
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are looking at a childhood photo.

志强 Zhiqiang

你长大以后变了很多。
Nǐ zhǎngdà yǐhòu biànle hěnduō.
You have changed a lot since you grew up.
雨婷 Yuting

是啊，时间过得真快。
Shì a, shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài.
Yeah, time really flies.
志强 Zhiqiang

你小时候很可爱。
Nǐ xiǎoshíhòu hěn kě'ài.
You were very cute when you were little.
雨婷 Yuting

谢谢你的夸奖。
Xièxiè nǐ de kuājiǎng.
Thank you for the compliment.

Sources

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