有期 (yǒu qī) — (noun) fixed term, defined period; (noun) fixed-term imprisonment (short for 有期徒刑)

Definition

Meaning 'fixed-term / for a set period' (as in 有期徒刑 'fixed-term sentence', 有期合同 'fixed-term contract'). It contrasts with 无期 ('indefinite / life'), where no end date is set.

noun
fixed termdefined periodfixed-term imprisonment (short for 有期徒刑)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā bèi pàn le yǒu qī tú xíng liǎng nián.
    He was sentenced to two years of fixed-term imprisonment.
  • 有期，。
    Zhè fèn hé tong shì yǒu qī de, wǔ nián hòu dào qī.
    This contract is fixed-term; it expires in five years.
  • 有期。
    yǒu qī Yǔ wú qī de qū bié zài yú shì fǒu shè dìng shí jiān.
    The difference between fixed-term and indefinite is whether a time is set.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
期qīperiod

有 “have” and 期 “period” combine to mean a fixed, defined period.

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
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 →

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