延期

• Pinyin: yán qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 延 = to extend; 期 = 其 (phonetic) + 月 (moon/month), a set period or scheduled date

Meaning

To postpone; to defer; to delay. Refers to pushing a scheduled event or deadline to a later time.

Used when something originally planned for a specific date is moved to a later date. Common in formal and semi-formal contexts: 比赛延期 (the match is postponed), 延期交货 (delayed delivery), 申请延期 (apply for an extension). Often followed by a time expression.

Examples

1. 由于天气原因，比赛不得不延期举行。 Due to weather conditions, the competition had to be postponed.
2. 他申请将论文提交日期延期两周。 He applied to postpone the thesis submission deadline by two weeks.
3. 项目因资金问题而延期，让大家都感到失望。 The project was delayed due to funding issues, which disappointed everyone.

Usage Guide

Context: professional, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这次会议因故延期，新日期另行通知。(This meeting has been postponed due to circumstances — the new date will be notified separately.)
• 演唱会延期了，请关注官方公告。(The concert has been postponed — please follow official announcements.)

Don't Say

• 把'延期'和'延误'混用 (Don't confuse 延期 with 延误 — 延期 is a planned postponement, while 延误 implies an undesirable delay or failure to meet a schedule)

Origin & History

A compound of 延 (to extend) and 期 (period/date, from 其 + 月 moon). Together they indicate pushing a scheduled date further into the future.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal