1.
from beginning to end; throughout; consistently
Describes a state or action that continues unchanged from start to finish. Often emphasizes that a particular attitude, mood, or behavior was maintained the entire time.
Usage
終始 is used as an adverb to describe something that remains constant throughout an event or period. It often appears with adjectives or verbs describing attitudes, moods, or behaviors.
Common collocations
- 終始笑顔 (smiling throughout)
- 終始一貫して (consistently from start to finish)
- 終始冷静 (calm throughout)
- 終始無言 (silent the whole time)
Common patterns
終始 can also function as a noun meaning "beginning and end" and as a する verb in the pattern 〜に終始する, "to consist of nothing but ~ from start to finish": 会議は批判に終始した (the meeting was nothing but criticism from start to finish).