决赛

• Pinyin: jué sài
• Hanzi breakdown: 决 = 氵(water) + 夬 (decisive), meaning to determine; 赛 = 宀 (roof) + 贝 (shell/treasure) + other components, meaning competition

Meaning

Finals; final match. The last and decisive round of a competition to determine the champion.

Refers to the final stage of any competitive event, such as sports tournaments, singing competitions, or academic contests. Common collocations include 进入决赛 (to advance to the finals), 决赛选手 (finalist), and 总决赛 (grand finals). Preceded by 半决赛 (semi-finals).

Examples

1. 他进入了比赛的决赛。 He made it to the finals of the competition.
2. 决赛将在下周六举行。 The finals will be held next Saturday.
3. 决赛的时候，观众特别多。 During the finals, there were especially many spectators.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition, entertainment

Tone: exciting

Do Say

• 我们一起看决赛吧！(Let's watch the finals together!)
• 她在决赛中获得了第一名。(She won first place in the finals.)

Don't Say

• 我们班的考试决赛很难。(Don't use 决赛 for school exams — it's for competitions. Say 我们班的期末考试很难 for final exams.)

Origin & History

Compound of 决 (to decide, decisive) and 赛 (competition, match). Literally 'deciding competition' — the match that determines the winner.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal