四半期

• Reading: しはんき
• Romaji: shihanki
• Kanji breakdown: 四 (shi/yon) — four; 半 (han) — half; 期 (ki) — period, term
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.haŋ.ki/

Meaning

A fiscal or calendar quarter; one of the four three-month periods into which a business year is divided.

A business and financial noun essential in corporate and economic discourse. In the Japanese fiscal year (April–March), the four quarters cover April–June, July–September, October–December, and January–March respectively. Common collocations include 四半期ごとに (quarterly), 四半期報告 (quarterly report), and 第一〜第四四半期 (Q1–Q4).

Examples

1. 第一四半期の業績は目標を上回った。 The first quarter's performance exceeded the target.
2. 四半期ごとに業績報告を株主に提出する義務がある。 There is an obligation to submit quarterly performance reports to shareholders.
3. 今四半期の売り上げが落ち込んだ原因を分析する必要がある。 We need to analyze the cause of the decline in sales this quarter.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, corporate, economics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 四 (four), 半 (half), and 期 (period). 四半 literally means 'a quarter' (one-fourth), and 期 specifies a time period, together forming 'a quarter-period' of the year.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Professional