期限

• Pinyin: qī xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 期 = 其 (that) + 月 (month) — a set period; 限 = 阝(hill) + 艮 (boundary) — a limit or boundary

Meaning

Deadline; time limit; expiry date. The latest point in time by which something must be completed or within which something is valid.

A formal noun for any defined time boundary. Common collocations: 截止期限 (cut-off deadline), 还款期限 (repayment deadline), 有效期限 (validity period), 超过期限 (exceed the deadline). Used in legal, business, and administrative contexts. More formal than 最后期限 (final deadline) which is closer to the English 'deadline'.

Examples

1. 这个项目的期限是三个月。 The deadline for this project is three months.
2. 报名的期限是下周五，别错过了。 The registration deadline is next Friday — don't miss it.
3. 合同的期限到了，需要续签。 The contract has reached its expiry and needs to be renewed.

Usage Guide

Context: business, legal, administrative

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 请在期限内完成任务。(Please complete the task within the deadline.)
• 签证的期限快到了，我要去续签。(My visa is about to expire — I need to renew it.)

Don't Say

• 期限很快 (Don't say 期限 is 'fast' — say 期限快到了 (the deadline is approaching) or 期限很紧 (the deadline is tight))

Origin & History

A compound of 期 (period/term) and 限 (limit/boundary) — the boundary of a time period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal