周期

• Pinyin: zhōu qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 周 = 口 (mouth) + 土 (earth) + 冂 (border); 期 = 其 (that) + 月 (moon)

Meaning

Cycle; period. Refers to a recurring interval of time or a complete round of events that repeats in a regular pattern.

Used in scientific, economic, and everyday contexts to describe phenomena that recur at regular intervals. Common collocations include 生命周期 (life cycle), 经济周期 (economic cycle), and 月经周期 (menstrual cycle).

Examples

1. 这种植物的生长周期大约是三个月。 The growth cycle of this plant is about three months.
2. 经济发展有它自己的周期规律。 Economic development has its own cyclical patterns.
3. 我们需要根据项目周期来安排工作进度。 We need to arrange the work schedule according to the project cycle.

Usage Guide

Context: science, business, everyday

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 这个项目的开发周期是六个月。(The development cycle for this project is six months.)
• 女性的生理周期平均为28天左右。(The average menstrual cycle for women is around 28 days.)

Don't Say

• 说'我的睡觉周期不好' (Don't use 周期 for irregular sleep patterns — use 作息 or 睡眠质量 instead)

Origin & History

周 (circuit, cycle) + 期 (period, phase). Together they form a word meaning a complete cycle or recurring period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal