延期
yán qī · HSK 4
to postpone
⏳ 延 = prolong + 期 = period; prolong the period = postpone
延 carries the sense of stretching or extending, and 期 means a set period or deadline. Together they mean stretching a deadline further out — to delay or postpone something to a later time.
延 — 廴 (long stride) + 㥯/丿 + 止 (foot)
延 originally depicted a foot (止) on a road or path (廴), suggesting walking a long way. From this came the meanings 'to extend,' 'to prolong,' and 'to delay.' The modern form retains 廴 on the left as the semantic clue for movement and extension.
期 — 其 (phonetic) + 月 (moon/time)
期 is a phono-semantic compound. The right side 月 (moon) signals meaning, since lunar cycles marked fixed time periods in ancient China. The left side 其 supplies the sound. Together it points to a set time, period, or appointed date — meanings still carried today in words like 期间 and 日期.