Chinese word

止

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhǐ

Meaning

  • verbend

Example

讨论就到此为止。tǎo lùn jiù dào cǐ wéi zhǐ

The discussion ends here.

Illustration for 止 (end)

More examples

由于故障，系统停止运行了。yóu yú gù zhàng xì tǒng tíng zhǐ yùn xíng le

Due to a malfunction, the system stopped operating.

Core concept

A moving action meets a fixed endpoint and stops there.

Common phrases

  • 到此为止dào cǐ wéi zhǐ

    end here

  • 停止运行tíng zhǐ yùn xíng

    stop operating

  • 止步不前zhǐ bù bù qián

    make no progress

Similar words

停止tíng zhǐ: To make an action or process stop and not go on.
结束jié shù: To finish an event or process.
中止zhōng zhǐ: To stop a planned event or course of action partway through.
停下来tíng xià lái: To stop moving or doing something on the spot, in everyday speech.

Definition in Chinese

表示停止、动作中断或结束，也可表示某一界点或终点，现代汉语中多作为复合词的成分出现。biǎo shì tíng zhǐ dòng zuò zhōng duàn huò jié shù yě kě biǎo shì mǒu yí jiè diǎn huò zhōng diǎn xiàn dài hàn yǔ zhōng duō zuò wéi fù hé cí de chéng fèn chū xiàn

Word origin

The ancient form of 止 (zhǐ, "stop; end") depicted a foot, and its meaning shifted from the foot itself to the act of stopping and then to a stopping point.

Usage tips

  • For everyday speech, the natural wording depends on whether an action is being paused, ended, or told to cease, so this character is mainly useful in compounds and formal contexts.

Other meanings

  • discontinueverb
  • stopverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word