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始终 (shǐ zhōng) — (adverb) from beginning to end; all along; always

Definition

始终 stresses that something holds 'from beginning to end' of the whole period, not just a stretch — more emphatic and complete than 一直 and 总是, which just mean 'always' (with 一直 emphasizing continuity and 总是 frequency).

adverb
from beginning to endall alongalways

Examples

  • 始终。
    Tā shǐ zhōng méi yǒu fàng qì xué xí hàn yǔ.
    He never gave up learning Chinese.
  • 始终。
    Wǒ men shǐ zhōng shì hǎo péng you.
    We have always been good friends.
  • 始终。
    Gōng sī shǐ zhōng bǎ zhì liàng fàng zài dì yī wèi.
    The company always puts quality first.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

始shǐbeginning
终zhōngend

始 beginning and 终 end together mean from start to finish.

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái始shǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 始 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Frequency & Duration5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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