終而復始

简 终而复始 · 繁 終而復始
Mandarin · pinyin zhōng ér fù shǐ

Meanings

  1. lit. the end comes back to the start (idiom); the wheel comes full circle
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Characters in this entry

終
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而
ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
復
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始
shǐ · begin, start; then, only then
终
zhōng · end; finally, in the end
复
fù · return; repeat; repeatedly
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–4–3 · zhong1 er2 fu4 shi3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

終而復始 · find source passages ↗ · 终而复始 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zung1 ji4 fuk6 ci2

Cantonese word readings for 終而復始. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

終而復始 · zhong1 er2 fu4 shi3
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 85,528
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record終而復始 终而复始 [zhong1 er2 fu4 shi3] /lit. the end comes back to the start (idiom); the wheel comes full circle/