终了 (zhōng le) — to end, to be completed

Definition

verb
to endto be completed

Examples

  • 终了，。
    Huì yì zhōng le shí, dà jiā dōu jué de hěn mǎn yì.
    When the meeting ended, everyone felt very satisfied.
  • 终了，。
    Xiàng mù zhōng le qián, wǒ men xū yào tí jiāo bào gào.
    Before the project ends, we need to submit a report.
  • 终了，。
    Xué qī zhōng le shí, xué xiào jǔ xíng le bì yè diǎn lǐ.
    When the semester ended, the school held a graduation ceremony.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

终zhōngend
了liǎocomplete

终 (end) and 了 (complete) combine to mean coming to an end.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 終; 终 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
冬
冬dōng終zhōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 終 pairs 糸 (a cord) with 冬 as a sound part; the simplified 终 is a later shorthand. An older form showed a knot at the end of a cord.

Open 终 →

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

了 was once drawn to show a baby with no arms; some old comments say it showed crossed or tangled legs.

Open 了 →

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