zhōngyú: 终于 - Finally, At Last

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• Summary: Learn how to use “终于” (zhōngyú), the essential Chinese adverb for expressing “finally” or “at last.” This page explains its meaning, cultural context, and practical usage with numerous examples. Understand the key difference between 终于 (zhōngyú) and 最后 (zuìhòu) to express relief and accomplishment after a long wait or hard effort, a common feeling in Chinese culture.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zhōngyú
• Part of Speech: Adverb
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: It indicates that a long-awaited or desired result has occurred after a significant delay or effort.
• In a Nutshell: Think of “终于” (zhōngyú) as the word for that feeling of a deep, relieved exhale. It’s not just a neutral time marker like “finally” in a list; it’s packed with the emotion of having waited, struggled, and at last, achieved something you wanted. It’s the “Finally!” you exclaim when your flight, delayed for hours, finally boards, or when you submit a project after pulling an all-nighter.

• 终 (zhōng): This character means “end,” “finish,” or “conclusion.” Think of it as the finish line at the end of a race.
• 于 (yú): A versatile classical preposition that can mean “at,” “in,” “on,” or “to.” In this context, it functions as a grammatical particle linking the concept of “end” to the situation.

When combined, 终于 (zhōngyú) literally means “at the end” or “in the conclusion.” This structure emphasizes that an action has reached its final, long-awaited point.

“终于” (zhōngyú) taps into the deep-seated cultural value of perseverance (吃苦耐劳, chīkǔ nàiláo - to bear hardships and stand tall). Chinese culture often emphasizes that worthy goals require patience, time, and struggle. “终于” is the verbal reward for that struggle. It validates the effort and acknowledges the difficulty of the wait. A Westerner might use “finally” in a neutral sequence: “First, I'll wash the car. Second, I'll mow the lawn. Finally, I'll relax.” In Chinese, this sequential “finally” is almost always 最后 (zuìhòu). Using “终于” here would be strange, as it would imply that washing the car and mowing the lawn were monumental, long-suffering tasks. “终于” is reserved for situations with emotional weight. You waited for months to get a promotion, and 终于 got it. You studied for a year for a difficult exam, and 终于 passed. It’s the linguistic embodiment of “phew, it happened!” and it carries a sense of earned accomplishment.

“终于” is extremely common in everyday spoken Chinese and informal writing. It's used to express relief and happiness about a positive outcome.

• Expressing Relief: It's the perfect word for when a stressful or tedious situation is over.
  • `楼上的装修终于结束了！ (Lóushàng de zhuāngxiū zhōngyú jiéshù le!)` - The upstairs renovation has finally ended!
• Celebrating Achievement: Used for personal, academic, or professional milestones that required effort.
  • `我终于毕业了！ (Wǒ zhōngyú bìyè le!)` - I finally graduated!
• Social Media: You'll frequently see it on platforms like WeChat Moments or Weibo when people share good news that was long in the making (e.g., getting a driver's license, finishing a marathon, or going on a long-awaited vacation).

The connotation is almost always positive because it implies a desired outcome has been achieved. You would not use it for a negative result you were dreading.

• Example 1:
• 等了三个小时，公共汽车终于来了。
• Pinyin: Děng le sān ge xiǎoshí, gōnggòng qìchē zhōngyú lái le.
• English: After waiting for three hours, the bus finally came.
• Analysis: This sentence perfectly captures the feeling of a long, frustrating wait coming to an end. The use of “终于” expresses relief.
• Example 2:
• 他努力了很久，终于找到了一个好工作。
• Pinyin: Tā nǔlì le hěn jiǔ, zhōngyú zhǎodào le yí ge hǎo gōngzuò.
• English: He worked hard for a long time and finally found a good job.
• Analysis: “终于” connects the long effort (“努力了很久”) with the positive result (“找到了一个好工作”), highlighting the sense of earned achievement.
• Example 3:
• 我们走了五个小时，终于到了山顶。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen zǒu le wǔ ge xiǎoshí, zhōngyú dào le shāndǐng.
• English: We walked for five hours and finally reached the mountain top.
• Analysis: This emphasizes the physical struggle of the long walk and the satisfaction of reaching the destination.
• Example 4:
• 下了几个星期的雨，今天天气终于晴了。
• Pinyin: Xià le jǐ ge xīngqī de yǔ, jīntiān tiānqì zhōngyú qíng le.
• English: After raining for several weeks, the weather is finally sunny today.
• Analysis: Here, “终于” expresses relief from a long, gloomy period. The desired outcome is the sunny weather.
• Example 5:
• 这本书太厚了，我花了一个月终于看完了。
• Pinyin: Zhè běn shū tài hòu le, wǒ huā le yí ge yuè zhōngyú kàn wán le.
• English: This book is so thick, it took me a month to finally finish reading it.
• Analysis: The speaker is conveying that reading the book was a long, perhaps challenging, process that is now complete.
• Example 6:
• 别担心，他终于会明白的。
• Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, tā zhōngyú huì míngbai de.
• English: Don't worry, he will understand eventually (at last).
• Analysis: This usage applies “终于” to a future event, implying that understanding will come after a period of confusion or stubbornness. It carries a sense of patient reassurance.
• Example 7:
• 我找了半天，终于找到我的钥匙了。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zhǎo le bàntiān, zhōngyú zhǎodào wǒ de yàoshi le.
• English: I searched for ages and finally found my keys.
• Analysis: “半天” (bàntiān), literally “half a day,” is a common exaggeration for “a long time.” “终于” pairs perfectly with it to show relief from a frustrating search.
• Example 8:
• 经过多次失败，我们的实验终于成功了。
• Pinyin: Jīngguò duō cì shībài, wǒmen de shíyàn zhōngyú chénggōng le.
• English: After many failures, our experiment finally succeeded.
• Analysis: This clearly shows “终于” as the culmination of a process filled with obstacles. It validates the perseverance through failure.
• Example 9:
• 你终于回来了！我们都等急了。
• Pinyin: Nǐ zhōngyú huílái le! Wǒmen dōu děng jí le.
• English: You're finally back! We were all anxiously waiting.
• Analysis: This is a common exclamation of relief when someone you've been worried about or waiting for arrives.
• Example 10:
• 他们谈了很久，终于达成了协议。
• Pinyin: Tāmen tán le hěn jiǔ, zhōngyú dáchéng le xiéyì.
• English: They negotiated for a long time and finally reached an agreement.
• Analysis: A typical example from a business or formal context, showing that “终于” can be used to describe the conclusion of a long process of discussion or negotiation.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 终于 (zhōngyú) with 最后 (zuìhòu).

• 终于 (zhōngyú): Emotional “finally!” Used for a desired outcome that came after a long wait or great effort. It emphasizes the process and the relief at the end.
• 最后 (zuìhòu): Neutral “finally,” “lastly,” or “in the end.” Used for sequencing or stating a final, neutral outcome. It emphasizes order or the final result.

INCORRECT USAGE:

• `我们先吃饭，然后唱歌，终于回家。`
• `Wǒmen xiān chīfàn, ránhòu chànggē, zhōngyú huíjiā.`
• (We first eat, then sing, and finally go home.)
• Why it's wrong: Going home is just the last step in a sequence of events. There is no implied struggle or long wait. It feels like you're saying, “After the monumental struggle of eating and singing, we were, at long last, mercifully allowed to go home!”

CORRECT USAGE:

• `我们先吃饭，然后唱歌，最后回家。`
• `Wǒmen xiān chīfàn, ránhòu chànggē, zuìhòu huíjiā.`

When to use 终于 (zhōngyú):

• `我们在路上堵了两个小时，终于到家了。` (We were stuck in traffic for two hours and finally got home.) → The struggle was the traffic jam.

• 最后 (zuìhòu) - The most important term to distinguish from 终于. It means “lastly” or “in the end” in a neutral, sequential way.
• 总算 (zǒngsuàn) - A very close synonym for 终于, often interchangeable. It can carry a slight nuance of “all things considered, it finally happened,” or “it can be counted as finally having happened.”
• 好不容易 (hǎo bù róngyì) - An adverb meaning “with great difficulty.” It is often used in the same sentence as 终于 to emphasize the struggle, e.g., `我好不容易才终于找到了你` (I finally found you after going through so much trouble).
• 到底 (dàodǐ) - Means “in the end” or “after all,” but is most often used in questions to demand a definitive answer (e.g., `你到底来不来?` - Are you coming or not, in the end?).
• 最终 (zuìzhōng) - A more formal and written term for “final” or “ultimate.” It focuses on the finality of a result, much like “ultimately” in English.
• 结果 (jiéguǒ) - A noun for “result” or “outcome,” or a conjunction meaning “as a result.” It neutrally describes what happened in the end, without the emotional color of 终于.