Definitions

(adverb) until; up to now

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the radical ('movement'), which graphically surrounds the bottom and left side, signals a connection to walking, traveling, or traversing distance, while the component gives the sound. It serves as a preposition or adverb meaning 'up to,' 'until,' or 'as far as,' and this sense of reaching a destination applies equally to physical distances and time frames, making it especially useful in formal writing and historical documentation for defining the precise boundaries of a period or the continuous span of an ongoing event.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今为止一切正常。

Qìjīn wéizhǐ yīqiè zhèngcháng.

Up to now, everything is normal.

未收到他的回复。

Qì wèi shōu dào tā de huífù.

His reply has not been received yet.

计划今尚未实施。

Jìhuà qìjīn shàngwèi shíshī.

The plan has not been implemented up to now.

此项工作无进展。

Cǐ xiàng gōngzuò qì wú jìnzhǎn.

This work has shown no progress so far.

去年底项目已完成。

Qì qùnián dǐ xiàngmù yǐ wánchéng.

The project had been completed by the end of last year.

今日为止我们已收集大量数据。

Qì jīnrì wéizhǐ wǒmen yǐ shōují dàliàng shùjù.

We have collected a large amount of data up to today.

尽管努力未取得预期成果。

Jǐnguǎn nǔlì qì wèi qǔdé yùqī chéngguǒ.

Despite the efforts, the expected results have not been achieved yet.

未来临之前我们必须做好准备。

Qì wèilái láilín zhīqián wǒmen bìxū zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi.

We must make preparations before the future arrives.