yánqī: 延期 - Postpone, Defer, Delay

• Keywords: 延期, yanqi, postpone in Chinese, delay Chinese meaning, how to extend a deadline in Chinese, defer in Chinese, Chinese verb for postpone, 延期 vs 推迟, HSK 5 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 延期 (yánqī), the primary Chinese verb for “to postpone” or “to defer.” This guide explains how to use 延期 in formal contexts like business, travel, and academics, breaks down its characters, and provides numerous example sentences. Understand the crucial difference between 延期 and similar words like 推迟 (tuīchí) to speak more accurate and natural Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yánqī
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To postpone or defer an event, deadline, or scheduled item to a later date.
• In a Nutshell: 延期 is the standard, often formal, way to say that something planned will not happen at its original time but will be moved to a later date. Think of official announcements, flight delays, or extending a project deadline. The focus is on moving the *date* or *period* (期) itself.

• 延 (yán): This character means “to extend,” “to stretch,” or “to prolong.” It's like stretching something out to make it longer.
• 期 (qī): This character means “a period of time,” “a date,” or “a deadline.” It often refers to a scheduled point in time.
• Together, 延期 (yánqī) literally means “to extend the date/period,” which perfectly creates the meaning of “to postpone.”

While 延期 itself is a straightforward functional term, its use taps into important cultural norms in China regarding planning, reliability, and social harmony. In Chinese business and official culture, sticking to a schedule is highly valued. A sudden postponement can sometimes cause a “loss of face” (丢面子, diū miànzi) for the organizers, as it may suggest poor planning. Therefore, when a postponement is necessary, the announcement is often made using the formal and neutral term 延期. Using this word shows respect for the original schedule and signals that the change is a serious, official matter, rather than a casual whim. This contrasts with Western contexts where “pushing a meeting back” might be a casual, daily occurrence. In China, while postponements happen, the language used to announce them, like 延期, tends to be more formal and carries a weight of officiality. It’s a way of professionally managing a change in plans while maintaining respect for all parties involved.

延期 is most commonly seen in written announcements and used in formal spoken contexts. It’s the word you'll see on airport display boards, in official emails, or on university websites.

• Formal Announcements: This is the primary use case. It's used for events, exams, deadlines, and public notices.
  • e.g., “由于技术问题，发布会决定延期。” (Due to technical issues, the press conference has been postponed.)
• Business and Academics: Used when negotiating deadlines or rescheduling official meetings.
  • e.g., “我们可以把截止日期延期一周吗？” (Can we postpone the deadline by one week?)
• Travel: It is the standard term for delayed or postponed flights, trains, etc.
  • e.g., “您乘坐的航班已延期。” (The flight you are on has been postponed.)

It is generally considered too formal for casual situations. You wouldn't use 延期 to tell a friend you want to move your coffee date from 2 PM to 3 PM. In that case, a word like 推迟 (tuīchí) or simply saying “我们晚一点儿见” (wǒmen wǎn yīdiǎnr jiàn - let's meet a bit later) would be more natural.

• Example 1:
  • 由于天气恶劣，会议延期到下周一。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì èliè, huìyì yánqī dào xià zhōuyī.
  • English: Due to the bad weather, the meeting has been postponed to next Monday.
  • Analysis: A classic example of a formal announcement. 延期 is used to state a factual change to a scheduled event.
• Example 2:
  • 考试延期的通知你看到了吗？
  • Pinyin: Kǎoshì yánqī de tōngzhī nǐ kàndào le ma?
  • English: Did you see the notice about the exam being postponed?
  • Analysis: Here, 延期 acts as a descriptor for 通知 (notice). This shows how it can be used within a noun phrase.
• Example 3:
  • 抱歉，我们的航班延期了，现在还不知道什么时候能起飞。
  • Pinyin: Bàoqiàn, wǒmen de hángbān yánqī le, xiànzài hái bù zhīdào shénme shíhòu néng qǐfēi.
  • English: Sorry, our flight has been postponed, and we still don't know when it can take off.
  • Analysis: A common situation at an airport. Note that in this case, the new time is unknown, which is a common scenario for 延期.
• Example 4:
  • 我们可以申请延期提交项目报告吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen kěyǐ shēnqǐng yánqī tíjiāo xiàngmù bàogào ma?
  • English: Can we apply to postpone the submission of the project report?
  • Analysis: This demonstrates asking for a postponement (an extension). 申请延期 (shēnqǐng yánqī) means “to apply for an extension/postponement.”
• Example 5:
  • 由于主要演员生病，演出不得不延期。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú zhǔyào yǎnyuán shēngbìng, yǎnchū bùdébù yánqī.
  • English: Because the main actor got sick, the performance had to be postponed.
  • Analysis: 不得不 (bùdébù) means “have no choice but to,” which pairs well with the formal feeling of 延期 in situations of necessity.
• Example 6:
  • 施工项目因资金问题被迫延期。
  • Pinyin: Shīgōng xiàngmù yīn zījīn wèntí bèipò yánqī.
  • English: The construction project was forced to be postponed due to funding issues.
  • Analysis: 被迫 (bèipò) means “to be forced,” indicating an involuntary postponement. This is a very formal and written style.
• Example 7:
  • 政府宣布，将选举延期三个月。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ xuānbù, jiāng xuǎnjǔ yánqī sān ge yuè.
  • English: The government announced that it will postpone the election for three months.
  • Analysis: This shows usage in a very official context (government, elections).
• Example 8:
  • 他们的婚礼因为疫情延期了。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de hūnlǐ yīnwèi yìqíng yánqī le.
  • English: Their wedding was postponed because of the pandemic.
  • Analysis: A very relevant and common example from recent years. It's a serious reason, so the formal 延期 is appropriate.
• Example 9:
  • 如果你不能按时完成，可以向教授申请延期。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bùnéng ànshí wánchéng, kěyǐ xiàng jiàoshòu shēnqǐng yánqī.
  • English: If you can't finish on time, you can ask the professor for an extension.
  • Analysis: Another academic example. Here, 延期 is used as a noun: “to apply for a postponement/extension.”
• Example 10:
  • 音乐节延期举行，具体日期另行通知。
  • Pinyin: Yīnyuè jié yánqī jǔxíng, jùtǐ rìqī lìngxíng tōngzhī.
  • English: The music festival will be held at a later date; the specific date will be announced separately.
  • Analysis: This phrase, “具体日期另行通知” (jùtǐ rìqī lìngxíng tōngzhī), is very common in official postponement announcements when the new date isn't set yet.

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 延期 (yánqī) and 推迟 (tuīchí).

• 延期 (yánqī) - To Extend the Date:
  • Formality: More formal.
  • Focus: Emphasizes that the scheduled period/date (期) is being moved.
  • New Time: Often used when the new date is not yet decided or is far in the future.
  • Usage: Best for written notices, official announcements, deadlines, and flights.
  • Example: 奥运会决定延期一年举行。 (The Olympic Games decided to postpone for one year.) - Formal, long-term postponement.
• 推迟 (tuīchí) - To Push Late:
  • Formality: Less formal, very common in spoken Chinese.
  • Focus: Emphasizes the action of pushing (推) something to a later (迟) time.
  • New Time: Often used when the new time is known and relatively soon.
  • Usage: Best for everyday conversations about meetings, appointments, or plans.
  • Example: 我们把会议推迟到下午三点吧。(Let's push the meeting back to 3 PM.) - Spoken, specific new time.
• Common Mistake: Using 延期 for being personally late.
  • Incorrect: 我今天上班延期了十分钟。 (Incorrect)
  • Correct: 我今天上班迟到了十分钟。(Wǒ jīntiān shàngbān chídào le shí fēnzhōng.) - I was ten minutes late for work today.
  • Why it's wrong: 延期 is for rescheduling an entire event. 迟到 (chídào) is for a person arriving late to an event that is happening on time.

• 推迟 (tuīchí) - A more common, slightly less formal synonym for “to postpone” or “push back.”
• 取消 (qǔxiāo) - An antonym, meaning “to cancel.” A postponed event might happen later; a canceled event will not.
• 提前 (tíqián) - An antonym, meaning “to move up (to an earlier time)” or “to do in advance.”
• 改期 (gǎiqī) - “To change the date.” Very similar to 延期, but it emphasizes rescheduling to a *new, specific* date.
• 截止日期 (jiézhǐ rìqī) - “Deadline” or “cut-off date,” the very thing that is often postponed (延期).
• 耽误 (dānwu) - To delay in a negative sense; to hold up progress or cause someone to be late due to an interruption. It implies negative consequences, whereas 延期 is neutral.
• 顺延 (shùnyán) - To postpone sequentially, usually to the next business day. (e.g., If a deadline is a holiday, it is 顺延 to the next working day.)
• 通知 (tōngzhī) - A notice or announcement. Postponements are often communicated via a 通知.