晚期

• Pinyin: wǎn qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 晚 = 日 (sun) + 免 (phonetic); 期 = 其 (that, phonetic) + 月 (moon/month)

Meaning

Late stage; advanced stage; terminal phase. The later portion of a period, process, or illness.

Used for historical periods (late Ming Dynasty), diseases (late-stage cancer), projects, or any process that unfolds over time. In medical contexts it often implies a serious or terminal state. More objective and analytical in tone than 晚年, which is reserved for people's life stages.

Examples

1. 这位患者被确诊为晚期肺癌，医生建议尽快开始治疗。 This patient was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, and the doctor recommended starting treatment as soon as possible.
2. 封建社会晚期，土地兼并问题极为严重，社会矛盾激化。 In the late period of feudal society, the problem of land annexation was extremely severe and social contradictions intensified.
3. 项目已经进入晚期阶段，大部分功能已经开发完成。 The project has entered its late stage, and most of the features have already been developed.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, history, project management

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他父亲被诊断出晚期胃癌，全家人都很难过。(His father was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer, and the whole family was heartbroken.)
• 这部小说描绘了清朝晚期动荡不安的社会。(This novel depicts the turbulent society of the late Qing Dynasty.)

Don't Say

• 用晚期描述人的老年，如'他的晚期生活' — use 晚年 for a person's later years; 晚期 is for stages of a process, era, or illness

Origin & History

Compound of 晚 (late) and 期 (period, phase). Literally 'the late period' of something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal