近期

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 近期 (jìnqī) is composed of two characters: 近 (jìn), meaning "near" or "recent", and 期 (qī), meaning "period" or "time". Together, they form the compound word 近期, which means "recent period" or "near future".The character 近 (jìn) is a pictograph that depicts a person standing next to a tree. This image represents the idea of being close or near. The character 期 (qī) is a phonetic loan character that was originally used to represent the word for "to wait". Over time, it came to be used to represent the idea of a period of time.The word 近期 (jìnqī) is commonly used in Chinese to refer to a period of time that is in the near future. For example, someone might say 近期我有考试 (jìnqī wǒ yǒu kǎoshì), which means "I have an exam in the near future". It can also be used to refer to a period of time that has recently passed. For example, someone might say 近期我去了北京 (jìnqī wǒ qùle Běijīng), which means "I went to Beijing recently".The word 近期 (jìnqī) is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is commonly used in everyday conversation.