时段

• Pinyin: shí duàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 时 = 日 + 寺 (time, moment); 段 = 殳 + 〡 (segment, section, stage)

Meaning

A time period; a time slot; a defined segment of time. A specific duration or block within a day or schedule.

More specific than 时期 (which covers longer historical or developmental periods). 时段 is used for scheduled time blocks: broadcast slots, peak hours, billing periods, and operational windows. Common collocations: 黄金时段 (prime time/golden hours), 高峰时段 (peak period), 非工作时段 (off-hours), 特定时段 (specific time slot).

Examples

1. 电视台将收视率最高的晚间黄金时段留给了本季度最受期待的综艺节目，相应广告费也创下历史新高。 The TV network reserved its highest-rated prime-time slot for the most anticipated variety show of the season, and the corresponding ad rates also hit a record high.
2. 本市公交车在早晚高峰时段实行动态调度，通过缩短发车间隔来缓解通勤压力。 In this city, buses use dynamic scheduling during the morning and evening rush hours, easing commuting pressure by shortening the interval between departures.
3. 用电高峰时段主要集中在夏季午后，电网调度中心须提前调配跨区域供电资源以防止拉闸限电。 Peak electricity demand is mainly concentrated in summer afternoons, so the grid dispatch center must allocate cross-regional power resources in advance to prevent rolling outages.

Usage Guide

Context: broadcasting, transport, scheduling, energy, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 网约车平台在高峰时段采用动态定价机制，当某一区域需求量激增时，车费会自动上调以吸引更多司机前往接单。(Ride-hailing platforms apply a dynamic pricing mechanism during peak time slots; when demand in a given area surges, fares automatically rise to attract more drivers to take orders there.)
• 该频道将晚间八点至十点的黄金时段全部留给了新播出的历史正剧，显示出对这部剧集的高度重视与期望。(The channel reserved the prime-time slot from 8 to 10 pm entirely for the newly launched historical drama, signalling the high regard and expectations placed on this series.)

Don't Say

• 时段 and 时期 interchangeably — 时期 is for longer, often undefined historical or developmental periods (e.g. 抗战时期, 青春时期), while 时段 is a specific, bounded time slot within a day or schedule

Origin & History

时 (time) + 段 (segment, section, section of time)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal