Meaning of 最终
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- final; ultimate
How to use 最终
最终 describes the final outcome or the ultimate goal, and it often sits before a noun or a verb. It sounds a bit more formal than 最后 (zuìhòu). Example: 最终的结果还没出来。(Zuìzhōng de jiéguǒ hái méi chūlái.) The final result is not out yet.
最 (zuì) means "most" and 终 (zhōng) means "end," so 最终 is the very end point of something. Picture the last thread in a spool: 终 has the silk radical 纟, and the most final thread is where everything stops.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 最终 with 终于 (zhōngyú). 终于 expresses relief that something finally happened after waiting, while 最终 just states the end result without that emotional tone. Also keep both syllables in the right tones: zuì is fourth tone and zhōng is first tone.
最终 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
最 zuì · to the highest degree · 12 strokes
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终 zhōng · end · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 最终.
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | best; had better ...; it would be best to ... |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final; last; ultimate; finally; in the end |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently; soon |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end |
| 始终 | shǐzhōng | from beginning to end; all along |
| 最初 | zuìchū | first; primary |
| 终止 | zhōngzhǐ | to stop; to terminate |
| 终身 | zhōngshēn | lifelong; all one's life |
| 终点 | zhōngdiǎn | the end; end point |
| 最佳 | zuìjiā | optimum; optimal |
| 终结 | zhōngjié | end; conclusion; to come to an end; to terminate (sth) |
| 终生 | zhōngshēng | throughout one's life; lifetime; lifelong |
Questions about 最终
What does 最终 mean?
最终 (zuìzhōng) means "final; ultimate" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 最终?
最终 is made of 2 characters: 最 (12 strokes), 终 (8 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 最终 an HSK word?
Yes. 最终 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 最终 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 最终 is written 最終.
What is the difference between 最终 and 最后?
Both can mean final or in the end. 最后 is more everyday and can also mean "last" in a sequence, like 最后一个 (the last one). 最终 focuses on the ultimate outcome and is more common in writing and formal speech.
Can 最终 be used at the start of a sentence?
Yes. It often opens a sentence to introduce the outcome, as in 最终，他们赢了。(Zuìzhōng, tāmen yíng le.) In the end, they won.