周期 (zhōuqī)

周期 refers to a cycle or period, a sequence of events that repeats regularly or a defined span of time for a process.

Meanings

[noun] a cycle, recurring period, or time span in a process

Example Sentences

经济发展有其固定的周期。 Jīngjì fāzhǎn yǒu qí gùdìng de zhōuqī. Economic development has its own fixed cycles.

这个项目的完成周期大约是六个月。 Zhège xiàngmù de wánchéng zhōuqī dàyuē shì liù gè yuè. The completion period for this project is approximately six months.

月亮绕地球运行的周期是一个月。 Yuèliàng rào dìqiú yùnxíng de zhōuqī shì yī gè yuè. The cycle of the moon orbiting the earth is one month.

产品的生命周期可以分为四个阶段。 Chǎnpǐn de shēngmìng zhōuqī kěyǐ fēn wéi sì gè jiēduàn. A product's life cycle can be divided into four stages.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
生命周期	life cycle
经济周期	economic cycle
完成周期	completion period
周期性	periodicity, cyclical

Usage Notes

周期 is used in scientific, economic, and business contexts to describe recurring patterns or defined time frames. 生命周期 (life cycle) is particularly common in product management and biology. The adjective form 周期性 (periodic, cyclical) can be used to describe events that recur regularly.

Memory Hook

周 means "a full circle or week" and 期 means "period or term," so 周期 is a full circling period, a complete cycle.