终 meaning and stroke order
End; finally, in the end
How to write 终, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 8
Meaning of 终
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- end
- finish
How 终 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 冬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 终
Picture the silk thread radical 纟 running out at the end of the spool, next to 冬 (dōng), winter, the end of the year. 冬 also gives the sound, so 终 (zhōng) sounds like winter and means the end of the thread.
终 rarely stands alone in speech. It appears mostly in words like 终于 (zhōngyú, finally), 始终 (shǐzhōng, all along), and 终点 (zhōngdiǎn, end point). Example: 我终于找到工作了。(Wǒ zhōngyú zhǎodào gōngzuò le.) I finally found a job.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 终 (zhōng) with 冬 (dōng, winter) because they share the same right side. Remember that 终 has the thread radical 纟 on the left and is read zhōng, not dōng.
Common words with 终
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end | HSK 3 |
| 始终 | shǐzhōng | from beginning to end; all along | HSK 3 |
| 终止 | zhōngzhǐ | to stop; to terminate | HSK 5 |
| 终身 | zhōngshēn | lifelong; all one's life | HSK 5 |
| 终点 | zhōngdiǎn | the end; end point | HSK 5 |
| 最终 | zuìzhōng | final; ultimate | HSK 6 |
| 终结 | zhōngjié | end; conclusion; to come to an end; to terminate (sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 终生 | zhōngshēng | throughout one's life; lifetime; lifelong | HSK 7-9 |
| 终究 | zhōngjiū | in the end; after all; eventually | HSK 7-9 |
| 自始至终 | zìshǐ-zhìzhōng | from start to finish (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 年终 | niánzhōng | end of the year | HSK 7-9 |
| 终极 | zhōngjí | ultimate; final | |
| 剧终 | jùzhōng | The End (appearing at the end of a movie etc) | |
| 临终 | línzhōng | approaching death; on one's deathbed |
终 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 终
How many strokes are in 终?
终 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 终 mean?
终 (zhōng) means end; finally, in the end. A common word with it is 终于 (zhōngyú), meaning "at last; in the end".
How do you pronounce 终?
终 is pronounced zhōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 终?
The radical of 终 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 终 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 终?
The traditional form of 终 is 終. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 终 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 终 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 终 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 终于 and 最后?
终于 (zhōngyú) means finally, after a long wait or effort, and goes before a verb. 最后 (zuìhòu) simply means last or in the end in a sequence, and it can also be used as a noun or adjective, as in 最后一天 (the last day).
Does 始终 mean the same as 终于?
No. 始终 (shǐzhōng) means from start to finish or all along, as in 他始终不说话 (he never spoke the whole time). 终于 marks something that finally happens at the end.