How to Say “Finally” with 终于 (zhōngyú)
终于 (zhōngyú) means “finally / at last” — a long-awaited result has arrived, usually with relief or joy. The frame is Subj + 终于 + Predicate + 了 — 公交车终于来了 (“the bus finally came!”). 终于 always needs the final 了, sits after the subject, and can’t lead or end the sentence.
Why this trips learners up
Use 终于 (zhōngyú) when something you’ve been waiting a long time for finally happens — it carries a built-in sense of relief or joy. The frame is Subj + 终于 + Predicate + 了: 公交车终于来了 (“the bus finally came!”), 雨终于停了 (“it’s finally stopped raining”), 天气终于暖和了 (“the weather’s finally warm”). The predicate can be a verb (来了, 通过了) or an adjective (暖和了).
Three rules trip up English speakers, because English “finally” is far more flexible. First, 终于 always needs the final 了 — it marks the awaited thing as now completed. 你终于来 is wrong; it has to be 你终于来了. Second, 终于 sits after the subject, right before the predicate — never out in front like English “Finally, …”: not 终于春天来了, but 春天终于来了. Third, it can’t go at the end the way English drops “…at last”: not 春天来了终于.
The most useful comparison is 终于 vs 已经. Both attach 了, but the feeling is opposite. 终于 = “finally, after a long wait” (relief): 你终于来了！= “you’re finally here — I’ve been waiting!” 已经 = “already, by now” (a neutral fact): 你已经来了 = “you’re already here” (sooner than I expected). One is an emotional payoff; the other is a plain status update.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
gōngjiāochē 公交车 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern lái 来 Verb le 了 Pattern
The bus finally came (终于 + Verb + 了).
yǔ 雨 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern tíng 停 Verb le 了 Pattern
It finally stopped raining (终于 + Verb + 了).
wǒ 我 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern tōngguò 通过 Verb le 了 Function word kǎoshì 考试 Object
I finally passed the exam (终于 + Verb + 了 + object).
tiānqì 天气 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern nuǎnhuo 暖和 Adjective le 了 Pattern
The weather finally got warm (终于 + Adjective + 了).
děng le bànnián 等了半年 Time wǒ 我 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern shōudào 收到 Verb le 了 Function word lùqǔ tōngzhī 录取通知 Object
After waiting half a year, I finally got the offer letter (a long-wait clause sets up 终于).
zhè bù diànyǐng hěn cháng 这部电影很长 Other wǒmen 我们 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern kàn wán 看完 Verb le 了 Pattern
The film was long; we finally finished watching it (终于 + Verb-完 + 了).
jīngguò duōnián de nǔlì 经过多年的努力 Time tā 他 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern shíxiàn 实现 Verb le 了 Function word zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng 自己的梦想 Object
After years of effort, he finally achieved his dream (终于 after a long effort).
wǒ dānxīn le yìzhěngtiān 我担心了一整天 Other háizi 孩子 Subject zhōngyú 终于 Pattern shuìzháo 睡着 Verb le 了 Pattern
I worried all day; the kid finally fell asleep (终于 + resultative — the awaited relief).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 终于 always needs the final 了 — it marks the long-awaited result as arrived: 春天终于来了 (“spring finally came”), not 春天终于来.
Why it happens: 终于 goes AFTER the subject, before the predicate — not in front of the subject like English “Finally, …”: 春天终于来了, not 终于春天来了.
Why it happens: 终于 can’t sit at the end like English “…at last”: 春天终于来了, not 春天来了终于. It lives between the subject and the predicate.
Compare & contrast
| 终于 — “finally” (the long wait pays off, relief) | 已经 — “already” (by now, a neutral fact) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 你终于来了nǐ zhōngyú lái le | 你已经来了nǐ yǐjīng lái le | 你终于来了 = “you’re finally here!” (I’d been waiting — relief). 你已经来了 = “you’re already here” (earlier than I expected — just a fact). |
| 我终于明白了wǒ zhōngyú míngbai le | 我已经明白了wǒ yǐjīng míngbai le | 我终于明白了 = “I finally get it” (after struggling with it). 我已经明白了 = “I already get it” (no need to explain further). |
Try it yourself
Say “The match finally ended.” — Subject + 终于 + Verb + 了.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Finally” with 终于 (zhōngyú) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.