字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

end, finish

On’yomi シュウ
Kun’yomi お.わる、-お.わる、おわ.る、お.える、つい、つい.に
Nanori ばて

Origin

The character 終 combines two parts to show the idea of an ending. The left component 糸 means thread or string, and it's used here as a classifier to show this is about something continuous that can end—like thread that runs to its conclusion. The right component 冬, which means winter, serves as a sound hint for pronunciation rather than contributing to the meaning. Together, the character pictures the image of a thread coming to its final point, capturing the sense of something reaching completion or finishing.

終 11 strokes

Components

  • 糸 radical left
  • 冬 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 最終 さいしゅう last; final
  • 始終 しじゅう continuously; from beginning to end
  • 終局 しゅうきょく end; close
  • 終結 しゅうけつ end; close
  • 終始 しゅうし beginning and end
  • 終身 しゅうしん lifelong; lifetime
  • 終戦 しゅうせん end of war; cessation of hostilities
  • 終息 しゅうそく cessation; (coming to an) end

Related kanji

Same radical

Easily confused with

These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.

Reference

Strokes
11
Kangxi radical
120
Formation type
Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint)
Grade
Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#256 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 3
Unicode
U+07D42