Chinese word

来临

Pronunciation

Pinyinlái lín

Meaning

  • verbarrive

Example

新的一年就要来临了。xīn de yì nián jiù yào lái lín liǎo

The new year is about to arrive.

Illustration for 来临 (arrive)

More examples

随着考试来临，他开始认真准备。suí zhe kǎo shì lái lín tā kāi shǐ rèn zhēn zhǔn bèi

As the exam approached, he began preparing seriously.

Core concept

A future time or major event draws steadily closer until it reaches the present.

Common phrases

  • 即将来临jí jiāng lái lín

    be about to arrive

  • 来临之际lái lín zhī jì

    at the time of arrival

Similar words

来到lái dào: Coming to a place, used for a person or physical thing.
到达dào dá: Reaching a destination or specific place, with focus on the endpoint.
到来dào lái: A season, festival, or event comes, in a somewhat literary style.
降临jiàng lín: Night, disaster, or another grave event arrives in a literary style.

Definition in Chinese

表示时间、节日或重要事件逐渐接近并到来。biǎo shì shí jiān jié rì huò zhòng yào shì jiàn zhú jiàn jiē jìn bìng dào lái

Word origin

来临 (láilín, "arrive") combines 来 (lái, "come") + 临 (lín, "draw near"), presenting a time or event as coming close enough to arrive.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often expect arrive to describe people or objects, but this verb usually takes an abstract time, season, festival, or event as its subject.

Other meanings

  • approachverb

Opposites

  • 离去lí qùleaveverb

Word lists with this word