Meaning of 终于
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- at last
- in the end
- finally
- eventually
How to use 终于
终于 goes before the verb and describes something that happens after a long wait or effort, often with a sense of relief. It usually pairs with 了 (le) at the end. Example: 我终于找到工作了。(Wǒ zhōngyú zhǎodào gōngzuò le.) I finally found a job.
终 (zhōng) means end, and 于 (yú) means at, so 终于 is literally "at the end." Picture yourself reaching the end of a long wait and saying "finally."
Common mistake: Learners often use 终于 for "finally" in a list, as in "first, second, finally." That meaning is 最后 (zuìhòu), while 终于 means a long-awaited result. Also do not mix it up with 始终 (shǐzhōng), which means "all along" or "from start to finish."
终于 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.
终 zhōng · end · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
于 yú · to go · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 终于.
| 等于 | děngyú | to equal; to be tantamount to |
| 属于 | shǔyú | to belong to; to fall under (a category) |
| 由于 | yóuyú | due to; as a result of |
| 始终 | shǐzhōng | from beginning to end; all along |
| 关于 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning |
| 对于 | duìyú | regarding; as far as (sth) is concerned; with regard to |
| 于是 | yúshì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence |
| 处于 | chǔyú | to be in (some state, position, or condition) |
| 在于 | zàiyú | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (of a matter) to be determine |
| 位于 | wèiyú | to be located at; to be situated at |
| 善于 | shànyú | to be good at; to be adept at |
| 用于 | yòngyú | to use in; to use on; to use for |
Questions about 终于
What does 终于 mean?
终于 (zhōngyú) means "at last; in the end" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 终于?
终于 is made of 2 characters: 终 (8 strokes), 于 (3 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 终于 an HSK word?
Yes. 终于 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 终于 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 终于 is written 終於.
What is the difference between 终于 and 最后?
终于 stresses that something finally happened after waiting or effort, often with feeling. 最后 (zuìhòu) simply means last or in the end, and it can also be used as a noun or adjective, as in 最后一天 (the last day). Only 最后 can introduce the last step in a sequence.
Can 终于 be used at the beginning of a sentence?
Usually it comes after the subject and before the verb, as in 他终于来了 (tā zhōngyú lái le). Putting it before the subject sounds odd in most cases. It can stand alone as a short reply, like 终于！ meaning "at last."