(qī jiān) - period, during, in the course of in Mandarin
qījiānTraditional: 期間
Translation
period, during, in the course of
Word origin
A compound of 期 (qī, a fixed term or period) and 间 (jiān, the space between), so the stretch of time between the two ends of a term.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 期 (qī, term) + 间 (jiān, interval)
Stroke order
期
间
Examples
。
I was at home for the whole of the holiday.
。
Please switch your phone off during the meeting.
。
He was seriously ill during this period.
，。
While he was in hospital, friends often came to see him.
。
During the exam period the library stays open late.
期间 (qī jiān) marks a stretch of time during which something else was going on: 放假期间, during the holidays; 会议期间, during the meeting; 战争期间, during the war.
It can also stand alone as a noun with a demonstrative in front, as in 这段期间, this period. Either way it names a duration, never a moment.
The trap is word order. English puts during in front and Chinese puts 期间 behind, so "during the holiday" comes out as 放假期间, in that order, with no preposition needed. Learners who write 期间放假 have translated word by word and produced nothing. The second trap is scope: 期间 needs something that lasts, so "at three o'clock" cannot take it. Use 的时候 for a point in time.
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期间: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "期间" (period, during, in the course of): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 50.