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有效期 (yǒu xiào qī) — period of validity; term of validity; shelf life (of perishable goods)

Definition

Noun for the time span during which something is officially valid or usable — documents, contracts, visas, or perishable goods. Combine as 有效期 + 是 + duration (e.g. 有效期是十年).

noun
period of validityterm of validityshelf life (of perishable goods)

Examples

  • 有效期。
    Zhè zhāng shēn fèn zhèng de yǒu xiào qī shì shí nián.
    The validity period of this ID card is ten years.
  • 有效期，。
    Niú nǎi de yǒu xiào qī zhǐ yǒu jǐ tiān, yào jǐn kuài hē wán.
    The shelf life of milk is only a few days; you should drink it as soon as possible.
  • 有效期。
    Qǐng jiǎn chá yí xià hé tong shàng de yǒu xiào qī.
    Please check the validity period on the contract.

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.

有效effective
有yǒuhave效xiàoeffect
动宾Verb + object
期qīperiod

有效 gives having effect and 期 gives period, yielding a period during which something is valid.

Characters in this word

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pūto strike; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo效xiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

效 pairs 攵 (written in full as 攴), meaning “to strike; action,” with 交, which gives the sound.

Open 效 →

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
Time (Abstract)

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