to end; to finish
HSK level
结束 (jiéshù) is a verb meaning 'to end,' 'to come to an end,' or 'to bring to a close.'
It applies to events, activities, periods, or relationships that have a clear beginning and a clear stopping point — a meeting, a class, a war, a marriage, a movie. Unlike English 'finish,' which often implies you completed a task, 结束 simply marks that something is over; whether it was successfully completed is a separate question. It can be intransitive ('the meeting ended') or transitive ('end the meeting').
Compared to 完 (wán), which attaches to a verb to mean 'done doing it' (吃完 chī wán = finished eating), 结束 is a standalone verb that frames the ending itself. The opposite is 开始 (kāishǐ), and the pair 开始⋯⋯结束 is the standard way to bracket a span of time.
Note: Neutral in both speech and writing. Slightly more formal than 完 (wán) — 结束 frames the ending as an event with a boundary (a meeting, a war, a relationship), while 完 just means an action is done.
Character by character
Memory hook: Two characters that both mean 'tie up / bind' — when you tie things off and bundle them away, it's over.
会议十点结束。
Huìyì shí diǎn jiéshù.
The meeting ends at ten.
neutral
电影已经结束了。
Diànyǐng yǐjīng jiéshù le.
The movie is already over.
spoken
我们今天就到这儿，结束！
Wǒmen jīntiān jiù dào zhèr, jiéshù!
Let's stop here for today, we're done!
spoken
这次比赛什么时候结束？
Zhè cì bǐsài shénme shíhou jiéshù?
When does this match end?
neutral
会议结束后，请大家留下。
Huìyì jiéshù hòu, qǐng dàjiā liú xià.
After the meeting ends, please everyone stay.
written, formal
结束 is written with 16 strokes (结: 9, 束: 7). Tap replay to watch each character drawn again.
完 attaches to another verb as a result complement (吃完 = finished eating, 看完 = finished watching). 结束 is a standalone verb for events ending. You say 电影结束了 or 看完电影了, not 电影完了 in formal contexts.
完成 means 'to complete (successfully)' — it emphasizes a task was accomplished. 结束 just means something stopped. A meeting can 结束 without anyone 完成 their goals.
停止 means 'to stop,' often abruptly or by intervention (停止合作 = stop cooperating). 结束 is a natural conclusion at the planned endpoint.
Acquire it by listening
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