TongTong
Sign in

终归 (zhōng guī) — in the end; after all; eventually

Definition

终归 (zhōngguī) means 'in the end / after all' and emphasizes that some outcome was inevitable all along. Slightly more literary than 最后, more conclusive than 终于 (which stresses the moment an outcome finally arrives).

adverb
in the endafter alleventually

Examples

  • 终归。
    Nǐ zhōng guī yào zì jǐ zuò jué dìng de.
    You have to make your own decision after all.
  • 终归。
    Wèn tí zhōng guī huì jiě jué de.
    The problem will be solved eventually.
  • ，终归。
    Suī rán xiàn zài hěn xīn kǔ, dàn zhōng guī huì yǒu huí bào de.
    Although it's hard now, there will be a payoff in the end.

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zhōngend
归guīreturn

终 (end) and 归 (return) yield the sense of finally returning or 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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →
Appears in
Time (Abstract)

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.