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始終 (しじゅう, shijuu) Japanese meaning: continuously | Kotomora

始し終じゅう

し

じゅ

う

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

continuously; all the time; from beginning to end

Describes an action or state that persists without interruption, or covers the entire duration of an event. Often used adverbially.

彼かれは始

し

終じゅう

文もん

句く

を

言い

っ

て

いる

。

He is constantly complaining.

会かい議ぎの始し終じゅうを報ほう告こくしてください。

Please report on the meeting from beginning to end.

Usage patterns

始し終じゅう〈動どう詞し〉ているto be constantly doing something
彼かれは始し終じゅう文もん句くを言いっている。
He's always complaining.
始し終じゅう〈事こと〉を気きにするto constantly worry about something
母ははは私わたしの健けん康こうを始し終じゅう気きにしている。
My mother is constantly worried about my health.

Kanji

始commence, begin
終end, finish

Related words

絶たえずN2
絶えず stresses that something never pauses even for a moment, while 始終 can also mean 'from beginning to end' of a specific event.
ずっとN4
ずっと is the everyday word for a long continuous stretch of time, while 始終 has a slightly more literary, 'throughout the whole thing' feel.
しょっちゅうN2
しょっちゅう is a casual, spoken way to say 'all the time' about repeated occurrences, whereas 始終 is more neutral and can also describe unbroken duration.
常つねにN3
常に is a formal word meaning 'always' as a general rule or habit, while 始終 more often describes something happening continuously within a particular period.
絶たえ間まなくN1
絶え間なく focuses on the lack of any pause, while 始終 emphasizes that something happens from beginning to end or all the time.

Don't confuse with

終しゅう始しN2
終始 (しゅうし) and 始終 (しじゅう) use the same two kanji in reverse order and both mean 'from start to finish', but 終始 is more common as a formal adverb/verb (終始一貫する) while 始終 leans toward 'constantly, repeatedly'.

Word family

一いち部ぶ始し終じゅう
full details; the whole story; everything from beginning to end
末すえ始し終じゅう
forever; for life; for the rest of one's life

Written forms

始し終じゅうUsage85%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
しじゅうUsage15%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the adverbial nuance is emphasized.

Etymology

Compound of 始 (beginning) and 終 (end), literally 'beginning and end', which developed the adverbial sense of 'from beginning to end' and 'continuously'.