同时

• Pinyin: tóng shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 同 = 冂 (enclosure) + 口 (mouth), originally meaning 'together/same'; 时 = 日 (sun) + 寸 (inch), meaning 'time'

Meaning

At the same time; simultaneously. Also used as a conjunction meaning 'moreover' or 'meanwhile.'

As a noun/adverb, 同时 means 'at the same time': 他们同时到了 (They arrived at the same time). As a conjunction, it connects two clauses meaning 'at the same time' or 'also/moreover': 他学习好，同时也很会运动 (He studies well, and at the same time is good at sports). Very useful for expressing parallel events or additional information.

Examples

1. 我们两个同时说了一样的话。 The two of us said the same thing at the same time.
2. 她学中文，同时也学日语。 She studies Chinese and also studies Japanese at the same time.
3. 这两件事是同时发生的。 These two things happened at the same time.

Usage Guide

Context: time, comparison, formal and informal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他们同时开始比赛。(They started the race at the same time.)
• 这个工作很忙，但同时也很有意思。(This job is busy, but at the same time it's very interesting.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中过多使用同时连接句子 (Don't overuse 同时 as a conjunction in casual speech — it can sound overly formal; use 也 or 还 for a more natural tone in everyday conversation)

Origin & History

同 (tóng, same/together) + 时 (shí, time). Literally 'same time' — things happening at the identical moment.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal