Meaning and Usage
"分期" (fēnqī) primarily refers to paying or dividing something over a period of time, commonly used in financial contexts to describe installment payments. It literally means "divide (分) the period (期)".
Common Contexts
It is frequently used when discussing loans, credit card payments, or purchases where the total amount is split into smaller payments over several months.
Collocations and Patterns
- 分期付款: installment payment, the most common phrase.
- 分期还款: repay in installments.
- 分期计划: installment plan.
Usage Notes
When using 分期, it usually implies a formal financial arrangement. It is often paired with 付款 (payment) or 还款 (repayment). Avoid confusing 分期 with 分开, which means to separate physically rather than temporally.
Register and Tone
This term is neutral and commonly used in everyday financial conversations, advertisements, and contracts.