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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'finally' or 'at last' with 终于 (zhōngyú)

    Sequence & Order
    Time Expressions

    Structure

    终于 + Verb + 了

    Explanation

    终于 (zhōngyú) is an adverb meaning 'finally' or 'at last.' It emphasizes that something long awaited has come to pass. It is placed before the verb to indicate the completion of a prolonged wait or effort.

    Examples

    • 等了两个小时,公交车终于来了。

      Děng le liǎng ge xiǎoshí, gōngjiāo chē zhōngyú lái le.

      After waiting for two hours, the bus finally came.

    • 经过多年的努力,她终于实现了自己的梦想。

      Jīngguò duōnián de nǔlì, tā zhōngyú shíxiàn le zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.

      After years of hard work, she finally achieved her dream.

    • 雨终于停了,我们可以出去了。

      Yǔ zhōngyú tíng le, wǒmen kěyǐ chūqù le.

      The rain finally stopped, and we can go outside now.

    Expressing 'finally' or 'at last' with 终于 (zhōngyú) | Chinese Grammar