AdverbsHSK 4
Expressing "finally" with 终于
终于 (zhōngyú) means "finally" and is used to emphasize that a long-awaited action has at last been completed. It must be followed by 了 to indicate the action's completion, and it always appears directly before the verb or adjective phrase. A common mistake is placing 终于 before the subject or at the end of the sentence, which is incorrect.
Structure
Subj. + 终于 + Verb/Adj. + 了
The predicate can be a verb or an adjective, and 了 is required to mark the completion.
Exemples
- 你终于到了！Nǐ zhōng yú dào le!You've finally arrived!
- 我们终于见面了！Wǒ men zhōng yú jiàn miàn le!We're finally meeting each other!
- 你们终于明白了。Nǐ men zhōng yú míng bai le.You've finally understood.
- 飞机终于起飞了！Fēi jī zhōng yú qǐ fēi le!The plane is finally taking off!
- 这个愿望终于实现了！Zhè ge yuàn wàng zhōng yú shí xiàn le!This dream has finally come true!