Meaning of 有限
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- limited; finite
How to use 有限
有限 describes resources, time, ability, or knowledge that is not unlimited. It often appears with 很 or 非常, and it is common in the company name ending 有限公司 (yǒuxiàn gōngsī, limited company). Example: 我们的时间很有限。(Wǒmen de shíjiān hěn yǒuxiàn.) Our time is very limited.
有 (yǒu) means "to have" and 限 (xiàn) means "limit," so 有限 literally "has a limit." Picture something that has an edge it cannot go past.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 有限制 (yǒu xiànzhì) when they just mean "limited." 有限 is the adjective, while 有限制 means "there are restrictions." Also keep the third tone on 有 and the fourth tone on 限. In speech, 有 shifts toward a second tone before another third tone, but that does not happen here.
有限 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.
有 yǒu · to have · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
限 xiàn · to limit · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 有限.
| 没有 | méiyǒu | haven't; hasn't |
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition |
| 有些 | yǒuxiē | some; somewhat; rather; a bit |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 有的 | yǒude | (there are) some (who are...); some (exist) |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
Questions about 有限
What does 有限 mean?
有限 (yǒuxiàn) means "limited; finite" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 有限?
有限 is made of 2 characters: 有 (6 strokes), 限 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 有限 an HSK word?
Yes. 有限 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 有限?
The opposite is 无限 (wúxiàn), meaning unlimited or infinite. For example, 无限的可能 (wúxiàn de kěnéng) means endless possibilities.
Can 有限 be used to sound modest?
Yes. People often say 我的能力有限 (wǒ de nénglì yǒuxiàn), "my abilities are limited," as a polite way to lower expectations or decline a task.