周期

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 月亮的运行有固定的周期。▶ —
   The moon’s motion has a fixed cycle.
2. 经济发展存在周期性波动。▶ —
   Economic development has cyclical fluctuations.

Collocations

Mnemonic

周 zhōu "to circle, all around" + 期 qī "period": the period in which something comes full circle, i.e. a cycle, a period. Same as the Korean word ju-gi (週期). It names the time unit over which the same phenomenon repeats at regular intervals (生命周期 a life cycle, 经济周期 an economic cycle). Unlike 间隔 (a mere time gap), 周期 centers on the regularity of repetition or cycling. 周 means "to circle" (周围, 一周); 期 means "period" (时期).

Related

Quick check

1. What is the key point of 周期 versus 间隔?

   • a regular time unit of repetition or cycling
   • a single one-off gap
   • spatial distance
   • a unit of weight