General noun for a span of time or a designated period. Also used as a suffix to mean 'period of ...'.
We shouldn't act now; we should wait for the right moment.
This period is very busy.
The probation period is three months.
Refers to a favorable moment or chance to do something. Often used in set phrases like 期を待つ (wait for an opportunity).
He acted without missing the opportunity.
Geological term for a division of time, such as an epoch or age.
During the ice age, the Earth's temperature dropped significantly.
Suffix used to indicate a fixed term, session, stage, or season in specific contexts: term of office, parliamentary session, disease stage, TV season, etc.
The president's term is four years.
The parliamentary session was extended.
The second season of this drama is the most interesting.
While I hesitated, I missed my chance.
The time has become ripe to carry out the plan.
He was re-elected as mayor for his second term.
時期 refers broadly to a time or season when something happens, while 期 more often marks a specific designated period or stage.
機会 is the common, everyday word for a chance or opportunity, while 期 in this sense survives mainly in fixed phrases like 期を待つ.
期 and 機 are homophones read き, but 期 means 'period' while 機 means 'chance/opportunity'—the idiom for waiting for a chance is 機を待つ, not 期を待つ.
季 (season, year) and 期 (period, term) share the same reading き but differ in meaning, so learners may mix them up in compounds like 季節 vs 期間.
period; term; interval
expectation; anticipation; hope · promising; up-and-coming
time; season; period; phase; stage
fixed period; fixed term · regular; periodic; periodical · commuter pass; season ticket · fixed-term deposit; time deposit · futures contracts
early period; initial stage; beginning
The kanji 期 combines 其 (winnowing basket, here used phonetically) and 月 (moon/month), originally meaning a set period of time. The reading き is the on'yomi.
postponement; deferment; adjournment
short-term; short period
early stage; early
latter period; second half; late stage
final stage; terminal stage; last days
a period of time; for a while; at one time
school term; semester
first term; first half; preceding period; early period
cycle; period
next term; next period; upcoming · next version; next release; successor
this term; this period; current session
term of office; period of appointment
irregular; indeterminate; staggered
middle period; mid-term · medium-term
fixed date; appointed date; set date · deadline; due date
heyday; golden age; prime
expectation; anticipation; forecast
delivery deadline; due date for payment
session; term; period of a meeting
quarter of a year; three-month period
indefinite; unlimited · life imprisonment
end of term; end of a period