按期 (àn qī) — on schedule, as scheduled (formal)

Definition

A formal adverb meaning 'on schedule / as scheduled', used mostly in writing about deadlines, payments, projects, and meetings.

adverb

on scheduleas scheduled (formal)

Examples

按期。
Gōng chéng àn qī wán chéng le.
The project was completed on schedule.
按期。
Dài kuǎn yào àn qī cháng huán.
Loan repayments must be made on schedule.
按期。
Huì yì jiāng yú xià zhōu yī àn qī jǔ xíng.
The meeting will be held on schedule next Monday.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

按ànfollow

期qīdeadline

按 means to follow and 期 means deadline, so the sense is acting on the scheduled time.

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.

扌安按

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān按àn

Same sound today

按 has 扌, the hand radical, and 安. The hand part points to an action done with the hand, while 安 supplies the sound and the idea of being at ease, linked to pressing down.

Open 按 →

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 →

Appears in

Time (Abstract)