Meaning of 期
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- a period of time
- phase
- stage
- classifier for issues of a periodical, courses of study
- time
- term
- period
- to hope
- variant of 期[qi1]
- period
- cycle
How to use 期
期 rarely stands alone in daily speech. It appears in time words like 星期 (xīngqī, week), 日期 (rìqī, date), 学期 (xuéqī, semester), and as a classifier for magazine issues or training courses. Example: 这本杂志每月出一期。(Zhè běn zázhì měi yuè chū yì qī.) This magazine comes out one issue a month.
期 has 其 (qí) on the left, which hints at the sound, and 月 (moon) on the right. Picture watching the moon go through its cycle to mark a set period of time.
Common mistake: Learners often write 斯 (sī) or 欺 (qī, to cheat) instead of 期. 期 has 月 on the right, while 欺 has 欠 and 斯 has 斤. Also, 期 is first tone (qī), so do not say it with the second tone of 其 (qí).
期 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.
期 qī · a period of time · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 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 |
| 长期 | chángqī | long-term; for a protracted period |
| 定期 | dìngqī | at set dates; at regular intervals |
| 短期 | duǎnqī | short-term |
| 近期 | jìnqī | near in time; in the near future |
| 期待 | qīdài | to look forward to; to await |
| 期间 | qījiān | period of time; time |
Questions about 期
What does 期 mean?
期 (qī) means "a period of time; phase" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 期?
期 is made of 1 character: 期 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 期 an HSK word?
Yes. 期 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 期 mean in 期待 and 期望?
In these words 期 means to hope or expect. 期待 (qīdài) means to look forward to, and 期望 (qīwàng) means expectation or to hope for.
How do you use 期 as a classifier?
Use it for issues of a periodical or sessions of a course or program, as in 第三期 (dì sān qī, the third issue or session). Put a number before it, for example 两期培训 (liǎng qī péixùn, two rounds of training).