逾期

• Pinyin: yú qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 逾 = 辶 + 俞 (movement + consent — to exceed/surpass); 期 = 月 + 其 (moon + period — a fixed time period/deadline)

Meaning

Overdue; past the deadline; to exceed the time limit. Describes a payment, action, or submission that has not been completed within the required timeframe.

Primarily used in legal, financial, and administrative contexts. Distinguished from 超时 (exceeding time) by its focus on failing to meet a fixed deadline or due date — most commonly for debt repayment, document submission, or contractual obligations. Carries formal, often punitive connotations: 逾期未还 (overdue and not repaid), 逾期罚款 (overdue fine).

Examples

1. 司法解释规定，借款人逾期还款的罚息率通常不得超过合同利率上浮百分之五十。 Judicial interpretations state that the penalty interest rate for overdue loan repayment usually may not exceed 50 percent above the contract interest rate.
2. 该集团在审查中发现，三家子公司长期逾期付款，平均达四十七天，已损害供应商信任。 The group found in its review that three subsidiaries had long-term overdue payments, averaging 47 days, which had damaged supplier trust.
3. 档案馆规定，逾期提交的论文将自动转入下个评审周期，且不接受破例。 The archive states that papers submitted overdue will automatically move to the next review cycle, and no exceptions will be accepted.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, legal, contracts, administration

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 按贷款合同约定，若借款人还款逾期三日，银行就按年利率24%计罚息，并可宣布贷款提前到期，要求其立即清偿全部债务。(According to the loan contract, if the borrower is overdue on repayment by three days, the bank will charge penalty interest at an annual rate of 24 percent and may declare the loan due early, requiring immediate repayment of all debts.)
• 税务机关对逾期申报纳税者可处以滞纳金、限期整改，情节严重的还会备案记录，以维护征管秩序。(Tax authorities may impose late fees on those who file taxes overdue, order them to rectify within a time limit, and record serious cases to maintain tax collection order.)

Don't Say

• 他逾期了作业 — 逾期 is used in formal financial/legal/administrative contexts; for casual deadline misses like homework use 没按时交 (didn't submit on time) or 交晚了 (submitted late)

Origin & History

逾 (to exceed/surpass — 辶 movement + 俞 consent; to go beyond a consented boundary) + 期 (period/deadline — 月 moon + 其 a period; time measured by lunar cycles). Together: to exceed the deadline.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal