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无限期 (wú xiàn qī) — indefinite duration

Definition

A formal noun meaning 'indefinite duration' (no fixed end date). Used mostly in writing for policies, contracts, or agreements — not everyday speech.

noun
indefinite duration

Examples

  • 无限期。
    Liǎng guó qiān shǔ le yí fèn wú xiàn qī de xié yì.
    The two countries signed an agreement of indefinite duration.
  • 无限期。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù de wú xiàn qī yǐn qǐ le dà jiā de dān yōu.
    The indefinite duration of this project caused everyone's concern.
  • 无限期。
    Hé tong lǐ yīng gāi xiě míng wú xiàn qī.
    The contract should clearly state the indefinite duration.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

无限without limit
无wúwithout限xiànlimit
动宾Verb + object
期qīperiod

无限 conveys 'without limit', and 期 gives the period, so together they mean indefinite duration.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⻖Written in full as阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn限xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

限 pairs ⻖ (mound, written 阜) with 艮 as a sound part; the mound side gives the sense of a boundary or limit.

Open 限 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →
Appears in
Frequency & Duration

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