期

Core sense: A delimited span of time characterized by boundaries (a beginning and an end) or a specific marked point on a calendar.

As a noun:

• An appointment: A specific, agreed-upon date or time for a meeting.
• A duration: A fixed term, cycle, phase, or set period of service/study.
• A deadline: The expiration of a period or the limit of a term.

As a verb: To await a scheduled event; ranges from neutral expectation to an active emotional state of longing.

• Noun usage: Frequently appears as the object of verbs meaning "to fix," "to set," or "to reach/fulfill."
• Modifier usage: Can describe something as periodic, fixed, or recurring.

• vs 時 (shí): While 時 often refers to a general moment, a season, or a timely opportunity, 期 specifically denotes a delimited span of time or a pre-arranged date.
• vs 約 (yuē): 約 emphasizes the social contract or the act of promising/agreeing; 期 emphasizes the resulting calendar date or the temporal limit established by that agreement.

// Tang-period reading: //ghiə.

• Variants: The form 𩂞 (U+901E) is a graphical variant with no distinct semantic shift from 期.