年终

• Pinyin: nián zhōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 年 = year; 终 = 纟(thread radical) + 冬(winter) — end/final (like the end of winter)

Meaning

Year-end; the end of the fiscal or calendar year. Used as a time marker for summaries, bonuses, audits, and evaluations.

Very common in business and administrative contexts. Key collocations: 年终奖 (year-end bonus), 年终总结 (year-end review), 年终考核 (year-end performance appraisal), 年终结算 (year-end settlement). In Chinese work culture, the year-end bonus is a major expectation and frequently discussed topic.

Examples

1. 公司宣布今年年终奖将根据个人绩效考核结果发放，优秀员工最高可获三个月工资。 The company announced that this year’s year-end bonuses will be paid based on individual performance reviews, with top performers receiving up to three months’ salary.
2. 财务部门正在紧锣密鼓地进行年终审计，确保全年账目清晰准确，符合监管要求。 The finance department is working at full speed on the year-end audit to ensure the year’s accounts are clear, accurate, and compliant with regulations.
3. 年终总结会议上，各部门负责人逐一汇报了本年度的工作成绩和存在的问题。 At the year-end review meeting, department heads reported one by one on this year’s achievements and the problems that still remain.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, HR, administration

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据公司规定，年终绩效考核结果将直接影响员工的晋升机会和年终奖金发放额度，因此各部门都对这一环节高度重视。(According to company regulations, year-end performance appraisal results will directly affect employees' promotion opportunities and year-end bonus amounts, so all departments attach great importance to this process.)
• 年终财务报表的编制和审计是企业合规经营的重要环节，须严格按照会计准则和监管机构的相关要求进行。(The preparation and auditing of year-end financial statements are important components of compliant business operations and must be carried out in strict accordance with accounting standards and relevant regulatory requirements.)

Don't Say

• 将'年终'与'年末'完全等同 — while similar, 年终 more strongly implies the completion of an annual cycle in business/administrative contexts; 年末 is a more neutral time reference meaning simply 'the last part of the year'

Origin & History

年 (year) + 终 (end/final). The end of the year.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal