无期 (wú qī) — indefinite, with no set deadline or end in sight

Definition

Used as a predicate to say something has no fixed end, deadline, or return date (e.g. 归期无期). Combined with 徒刑 in the legal term 无期徒刑 ('life imprisonment').

verb

indefinite, with no set deadline or end in sight

Examples

无期。
Tā yīn wèi shā rén bèi pàn le wú qī.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
无期。
Zhè ge xiàng mù de jié zhǐ rì qī wú qī.
This project's deadline is indefinite.
无期，。
Tā de guī qī wú qī, dà jiā dōu hěn dān yōu.
His return date is indefinite, and everyone is very worried.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

无wúnot have

期qīdeadline

无 not have and 期 deadline combine to mean without a set deadline.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

Frequency & Duration