What does 終 mean in Japanese?
終 means to end or finish. Like its counterpart 始 (begin), it has both an intransitive form — 終わる (owaru, something ends) — and a transitive form — 終える (oeru, to finish something). The pair 始まる/終わる or 始める/終える lets you describe the full arc of any event or task.
終電 (shuuden, last train) is one of the most practically important compounds built on 終. Missing the last train is a real concern when staying out late in Japan, and this word appears constantly in conversation, apps, and departure boards.
Reading
On’yomi: シュウ (shuu)
Kun’yomi: お-わる (o-waru), お-える (o-eru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 終 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | end, finish |
| Stroke Count | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
終わる (intransitive): something comes to an end — 授業が終わる (class ends), 映画が終わった (the film ended). 終える (transitive): you complete or wrap up something — 宿題を終える (finish homework), 仕事を終える (finish work). 最終 (saishuu, final) appears in 最終バス (last bus), 最終確認 (final check), and 最終日 (last day). The on’yomi シュウ has a long vowel — always write ‘shuu,’ not ‘shu.’
Common Words
- 終わる（おわる / owaru） — to end, to finish (intransitive)
- 終える（おえる / oeru） — to finish, to complete (transitive)
- 終電（しゅうでん / shuuden） — last train of the day
- 最終（さいしゅう / saishuu） — final, last
- 終業式（しゅうぎょうしき / shuugyoushiki） — closing ceremony at the end of a school term
- 〜終わる（〜おわる / ~owaru） — to finish doing ~ (auxiliary verb)
Example Sentences
-
授業は何時に終わりますか？
じゅぎょうはなんじにおわりますか？ / Jugyou wa nanji ni owarimasu ka?
What time does class end?
-
宿題を終えてから出かけます。
しゅくだいをおえてからでかけます。 / Shukudai o oete kara dekakemasu.
I will go out after finishing my homework.
-
終電に乗り遅れてしまいました。
しゅうでんにのりおくれてしまいました。 / Shuuden ni nori okurete shimaimashita.
I missed the last train.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The 終わる / 終える intransitive/transitive split follows the same pattern as 始まる / 始める. 授業が終わる (class ends, observed) vs 授業を終える (wrap up the class, you do it). In casual speech 終わる is far more common. 終える is more deliberate and often written.
〜終わる as an auxiliary attaches to the verb stem: 食べ終わる (finish eating), 読み終わる (finish reading), 書き終わる (finish writing). The counterpart 〜始める (start doing) was covered in seed_id 192. Together they form the bookends of any action in Japanese.
終電 (shuuden, last train) = 終 (end) + 電 (electric/train). 終電に乗り遅れる (miss the last train) is a very common phrase. Many Japanese train lines stop running around midnight to 1 a.m., depending on the line and area. 終電の時間 (last train time) is worth checking before going out.
最終 (saishuu, final/last) combines well with many nouns: 最終バス (last bus), 最終日 (last day), 最終確認 (final check), 最終回 (final episode). It is slightly more formal than 最後 (saigo, last/end) but both are N4 vocabulary.
Summary
終 means to end or finish, with 終わる (intransitive) and 終える (transitive) as the core verb pair, 終電 (last train) as a critical practical compound, and 〜終わる as a productive auxiliary for expressing the completion of any action.