终审 (zhōng shěn) — final instance (of a court), final judgment

Definition

Refers specifically to the final level of court review — the last appeal — after which a judgment is binding. Distinguish from 最终判决 ('final judgment'), the verdict itself.

noun
final instance (of a court)final judgment

Examples

  • 终审。
    Zhè ge àn zi yǐ jīng jìn rù zhōng shěn jiē duàn.
    This case has entered the final instance stage.
  • 终审。
    zhōng shěn Fǎ yuàn zuò chū le zuì zhōng pàn jué.
    The court of final instance made the final judgment.
  • ，终审。
    Bèi gào bù fú pàn jué, xiàng zhōng shěn fǎ yuàn shàng sù.
    The defendant disagreed with the judgment and appealed to the court of final instance.

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.

终zhōngfinal
审shěntrial

终 means final and 审 means trial or judgment, together giving the last instance of a case.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 審; 审 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 釆釆biànto distinguish
  • 田田tián

The simplified 审 abbreviates the traditional 審, which is built from 宀 (roof) and 釆 (to distinguish); the lower 田 is uncertain.

Open 审 →

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