終

Denotes an end, a conclusion, or the act of finishing. This includes both cessation (stopping/cutting short) and completion (fulfilling a process or reaching a natural destination). In biographical or formal contexts, it often serves as a euphemism for death, implying the completion of a natural lifespan.

• Noun: The end point, finale, or conclusion.
• Verb: To finish, to terminate, or (euphemistically) to die.
• Adverb: "Finally," "in the end," or "ultimately." It may modify a specific verb ("at last") or signal a narrative shift toward resolution for an entire clause ("consequently").

• vs. 末 (mò): 終 generally refers to temporal or sequential ends; 末 typically denotes physical extremities or the "tip" of an object.
• vs. 盡 (jìn): While both can be translated as "end," 盡 implies exhaustion or total consumption of a resource, whereas 終 implies reaching a boundary or final stage in a sequence.

Common simplification: 终.

In philosophical contexts, distinguish between whether the glyph describes the event of ending (the process of finishing) or the state of finality (the permanent condition of being finished).