时空

• Pinyin: shí kōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 时 = 日 + 寺 (time); 空 = 穴 + 工 (empty, sky, space)

Meaning

Space-time; time and space. The combined dimensions of temporal and spatial existence.

Used in physics (相对论时空 — relativistic spacetime), philosophy, literature, and cultural discourse. In everyday literary and rhetorical use, 时空 evokes the sweep of history across places, or the gap between different eras and settings. Common collocations: 穿越时空 (transcend time and space), 时空隧道 (space-time tunnel), 跨越时空 (across time and space), 时空交错 (intertwining of time and space).

Examples

1. 这部小说以时空交错的叙事结构，将三代人的命运并置呈现，引导读者在历史的纵深中寻找现实的回响。 With a narrative structure that weaves time and space together, this novel places the fates of three generations side by side, guiding readers to look for echoes of the present in the depth of history.
2. 爱因斯坦的相对论彻底颠覆了人们对时空的传统认知，证明了时间与空间并非相互独立的绝对存在。 Einstein’s theory of relativity completely overturned traditional ideas about space-time, showing that time and space are not independent, absolute entities.
3. 站在这片古战场上，他仿佛感受到了时空的重叠，那些发生在数百年前的悲壮历史扑面而来。 Standing on this ancient battlefield, he felt as if time and space were overlapping, and the tragic history from hundreds of years ago seemed to surge toward him.

Usage Guide

Context: physics, philosophy, literature, rhetoric, history

Tone: elevated

Do Say

• 这次展览将来自不同历史时期和地域文明的艺术珍品汇聚一堂，让参观者在一个物理空间内完成了一段跨越时空的文化旅程。(This exhibition brought together art treasures from different historical periods and regional civilisations, allowing visitors to complete a cultural journey that transcended time and space within a single physical space.)
• 量子纠缠现象挑战了人们对时空局域性的基本假设，使物理学界不得不重新审视经典力学与相对论的边界与局限。(The phenomenon of quantum entanglement challenges the basic assumption of spacetime locality, forcing the physics community to re-examine the boundaries and limitations of classical mechanics and relativity.)

Don't Say

• 时空 as a casual synonym for 时间和地点 (time and place) — in everyday contexts, use 时间地点 or 时间和地点; 时空 carries a philosophical/scientific weight and sounds pompous in mundane contexts like 'let's confirm the time and venue'

Origin & History

时 (time) + 空 (space)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal