Meaning of 初期
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- initial stage
- beginning period
How to use 初期
初期 is used for the early stage of a process, project, era, or illness, often in more formal or written Chinese. It usually follows the thing it describes, sometimes with 的. Example: 项目初期很难。(Xiàngmù chūqī hěn nán.) The early stage of the project is hard.
初 (chū) means first or beginning, and 期 (qī) means a period of time, as in 学期 (xuéqī) semester. Put them together and you get the first period of something: its initial stage.
Common mistake: Learners often put 初期 in front like an English adjective, saying 初期项目 when they mean the early stage of a project. The natural order is 项目初期 or 项目的初期. Also, 期 is first tone (qī) here, not qí.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
初 chū · at first · 7 strokes
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期 qī · a period of time · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 初期.
| 星期 | xīngqī | week; day of the week |
| 日期 | rìqī | date |
| 星期天 | xīngqītiān | Sunday |
| 星期日 | xīngqīrì | Sunday |
| 假期 | jiàqī | holiday period; vacation |
| 学期 | xuéqī | term; semester |
| 当初 | dāngchū | at that time; originally |
| 长期 | chángqī | long-term; for a protracted period |
| 初步 | chūbù | initial; preliminary |
| 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school (abbr. for 初級中學|初级中学[chu1 ji2 zhong1 xue2]) |
| 定期 | dìngqī | at set dates; at regular intervals |
| 短期 | duǎnqī | short-term |
Questions about 初期
What does 初期 mean?
初期 (chūqī) means "initial stage; beginning period" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 初期?
初期 is made of 2 characters: 初 (7 strokes), 期 (12 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 初期 an HSK word?
Yes. 初期 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 初期 and 开始?
开始 (kāishǐ) is a common verb or noun meaning to start or the start, and it fits everyday speech. 初期 is a noun for a whole early period, not a single starting point, and it sounds more formal.
What is the opposite of 初期?
The usual counterparts are 中期 (zhōngqī) middle stage and 末期 (mòqī) or 后期 (hòuqī) late stage. For example, 二十世纪初期 means the early twentieth century.