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终结 (zhōng jié) — to end, to terminate, to bring to a close

Definition

终结 (zhōng jié) means 'to bring to a complete end' — more final and decisive than 结尾 (which often names a story's ending) and more emphatic than 终止 (to stop, which can be temporary).

verb
to endto terminateto bring to a close

Examples

  • 终结。
    Zhè duàn gǎn qíng zhōng yú zhōng jié le.
    This relationship has finally come to an end.
  • 终结。
    Gōng sī jué dìng zhōng jié zhè ge xiàng mù.
    The company decided to terminate this project.
  • 终结。
    Yí gè shí dài jiù zhè yàng zhōng jié le.
    An era ended just like that.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

终zhōngend
结jiéconclude

End and conclusion reinforce each other, meaning to bring something to a close.

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 →

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 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →
Appears in
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