有限 (yǒuxiàn) — limited, finite

有限 (yǒuxiàn)

Describes something that is bounded or restricted -- not infinite or unlimited -- whether in quantity, time, ability, or scope.

Meanings

1. [adjective] limited, finite, restricted

Example Sentences

由于资金有限，项目只能缩小规模进行。 Yóuyú zījīn yǒuxiàn, xiàngmù zhǐ néng suōxiǎo guīmó jìnxíng. Due to limited funding, the project can only proceed on a reduced scale.

时间有限，请尽量简短地表达您的观点。 Shíjiān yǒuxiàn, qǐng jǐnliàng jiǎnduǎn de biǎodá nín de guāndiǎn. Time is limited, so please express your views as briefly as possible.

他的中文水平有限，无法理解这篇复杂的文章。 Tā de Zhōngwén shuǐpíng yǒuxiàn, wúfǎ lǐjiě zhè piān fùzá de wénzhāng. His Chinese proficiency is limited, and he cannot understand this complex article.

地球上的自然资源是有限的，我们必须节约使用。 Dìqiú shàng de zìrán zīyuán shì yǒuxiàn de, wǒmen bìxū jiéyuē shǐyòng. Natural resources on Earth are finite, and we must use them sparingly.

有限责任公司是现代商业中最常见的企业形式之一。 Yǒuxiàn zérèn gōngsī shì xiàndài shāngyè zhōng zuì cháng jiàn de qǐyè xíngshì zhī yī. A limited liability company is one of the most common forms of business in modern commerce.

在信息有限的情况下做出决策是管理者面临的常见挑战。 Zài xìnxī yǒuxiàn de qíngkuàng xià zuòchū juécè shì guǎnlǐzhě miànlín de cháng jiàn tiǎozhàn. Making decisions with limited information is a common challenge that managers face.

Collocations

Usage Notes

有限 is used in both formal and everyday contexts. In business and legal Chinese, 有限责任公司 (limited liability company, abbreviated 有限公司 or 有限) is one of the most common corporate structures and appears in every company name of that type.

有限 contrasts with 无限 (wúxiàn, unlimited/infinite). In conversational Chinese, when someone says 时间有限 or 能力有限, they are often being politely modest -- acknowledging constraints in a tactful way.

Memory Hook

有 = to have. 限 = limit/boundary (a wall that stops passage). Something 有限 "has limits" -- boundaries that cannot be crossed. Think of a walled city: everything inside is 有限.