終しゅう止し符ふ

しゅ

う

し

ふ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

full stop; period

The punctuation mark 。 used at the end of a sentence. Also used metaphorically for a decisive end.

日本にほん語ごの文ぶん末まつには終しゅう止し符ふを打

う

つ

。

You put a full stop at the end of a Japanese sentence.

彼かれの一ひと言ことが議ぎ論ろんに終しゅう止し符ふを打うった。

His single remark put an end to the discussion.

2

noun

end; conclusion

Used in the phrase 終止符を打つ (to bring something to an end). The noun itself is rarely used alone for this meaning.

Expressions

終しゅう止し符ふを打うつput an end to; bring to a close; close the books on

Kanji

終end, finish
止stop, halt
符token, sign, mark

Related words

句く点てん sense 1
句点 refers strictly to the punctuation mark 。, while 終止符 can also be used metaphorically for the end of a matter.
終しゅう焉えん sense 2
終焉 is a literary word for the end of a life or era, while 終止符 more often appears in the fixed phrase 終止符を打つ for ending an ongoing situation.
ピリオドN1sense 1
ピリオド is the English loanword for the punctuation mark, used similarly but less formally than 終止符.
決けっ着ちゃく sense 2
決着 means a settlement or resolution of a dispute, whereas 終止符 emphasizes the definitive closing of something, often used with 打つ.

Counted with

個こN5
Used for a punctuation mark as a small, discrete object; no stronger special counter is typical.

Built from

終しゅう止し+符ふ

Etymology

Compound of 終止 (shūshi, 'stop, end') and 符 (fu, 'mark, sign'). The term was coined in the Meiji period as a translation for Western punctuation terminology.