HSK · Level 43
120 words
Chinese word
终身
Pronunciation
Pinyinzhōng shēn
Meaning
- adverbthroughout one's life
Example
我们应该终身学习。wǒ men yīng gāi zhōng shēn xué xí
We should keep learning throughout our lives.
More examples
这条狗会终身陪伴主人。zhè tiáo gǒu huì zhōng shēn péi bàn zhǔ rén
This dog will accompany its owner throughout its life.
Core concept
One continuous thread that keeps an activity or status connected across all stages of a person's life.
Common phrases
判处终身监禁pàn chǔ zhōng shēn jiān jìn
sentence to life imprisonment
终身陪伴zhōng shēn péi bàn
accompany for life
终身学习zhōng shēn xué xí
learn throughout one's life
Similar words
一生yì shēng: Continuing for the whole of a person's life in common speech.
一辈子yí bèi zi: Continuing throughout a person's whole lifetime in an informal way.
永远yóng yuǎn: Lasting forever, whether or not a person's life or a time period ends.
始终shǐ zhōng: Remaining the same from the start of an activity or situation to its end.
Definition in Chinese
表示贯穿整个人生的持续时间，强调长期不变，常见搭配有“终身学习”“终身会员”，在正式文本中使用较多。biǎo shì guàn chuān zhěng gè rén shēng de chí xù shí jiān qiáng diào cháng qī bú biàn cháng jiàn dā pèi yǒu zhōng shēn xué xí zhōng shēn huì yuán zài zhèng shì wén běn zhōng shǐ yòng jiào duō
Word origin
The compound 终 (zhōng, "end") + 身 (shēn, "body or life") links the idea of life's end with the entire period leading to it.
Usage tips
- As an adverb, this word modifies an activity that continues across a whole life; before a noun, it can describe a status or right that remains in force for that long.