Meaning of 终止
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to stop; to terminate
How to use 终止
终止 is a formal word used for contracts, agreements, programs, pregnancies, or official processes, often in writing or news. It usually takes an object or appears with 被 or 已经. Example: 双方决定终止合同。(Shuāngfāng juédìng zhōngzhǐ hétong.) Both sides decided to terminate the contract.
终 (zhōng) means end, as in 终于 (zhōngyú) at last, and 止 (zhǐ) means stop, as in 停止 (tíngzhǐ). Put them together: bring something to its end and stop it, so 终止 is to terminate.
Common mistake: Learners often use 终止 for everyday stopping, like 他终止说话. That sounds odd, and 停止 (tíngzhǐ) or just 停 is more natural there. Also do not confuse 终止 with 阻止 (zǔzhǐ), which means to stop someone else from doing something.
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
止 zhǐ · to stop · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 终止.
| 停止 | tíngzhǐ | to stop; to halt; to cease |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end |
| 始终 | shǐzhōng | from beginning to end; all along |
| 防止 | fángzhǐ | to prevent; to guard against |
| 阻止 | zǔzhǐ | to prevent; to block |
| 禁止 | jìnzhǐ | to prohibit; to forbid |
| 不止 | bùzhǐ | incessantly; without end |
| 为止 | wéizhǐ | until; (used in combination with words like 到[dao4] or 至[zhi4] in constructs of the form 到 |
| 终身 | zhōngshēn | lifelong; all one's life |
| 终点 | zhōngdiǎn | the end; end point |
| 最终 | zuìzhōng | final; ultimate |
| 截止 | jiézhǐ | to end; to close; (electricity) cut-off |
Questions about 终止
What does 终止 mean?
终止 (zhōngzhǐ) means "to stop; to terminate" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 终止?
终止 is made of 2 characters: 终 (8 strokes), 止 (4 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 终止 an HSK word?
Yes. 终止 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 终止 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 终止 is written 終止.
What is the difference between 终止 and 停止?
停止 is a general word for stopping an action, and the action may start again later. 终止 is more formal and usually means ending something for good, such as a contract or a plan.
Can 终止 be used without an object?
Yes. It can be used intransitively, as in 比赛终止了 (bǐsài zhōngzhǐ le), the match was terminated. It is also common in the passive, as in 项目被终止了 (xiàngmù bèi zhōngzhǐ le), the project was terminated.