适时

• Pinyin: shì shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 适 = 辶 + 啇 (fitting, appropriate — moving toward what suits); 时 = 日 + 寺 (time — the sun's position at the temple indicating the hour)

Meaning

Timely; at the right time; opportune. Acting or occurring at the most suitable moment to achieve the desired effect.

Implies not merely being prompt, but choosing the optimal moment for an action — a moment when conditions are most favourable. Common collocations: 适时介入 (to intervene at the right time), 适时调整 (to adjust at the right moment), 适时出台 (to introduce at an opportune time), 适时播种 (to sow at the right time). Carries a strong connotation of strategic timing and situational awareness. Distinct from 及时 (timely — in time, without delay) which emphasises promptness, whereas 适时 emphasises optimality of moment.

Examples

1. 农业技术人员提醒农户须根据当年的气温走势和土壤墒情适时播种，提前或推迟播期都可能对最终产量产生不可逆的影响。 Agricultural technicians remind farmers to sow at the right time based on that year’s temperature trends and soil moisture; planting earlier or later can have irreversible effects on final yields.
2. 主席在谈判陷入僵局之际适时提出了一个各方均可接受的折中方案，成功化解了长达数月的核心分歧，使磋商重回正轨。 When the negotiations hit a stalemate, the chair put forward a compromise proposal at just the right moment—one all sides could accept—successfully defusing months of core differences and getting the talks back on track.
3. 监管机构对泡沫迹象明显的资产市场适时出台宏观审慎调控措施，有效遏制了市场情绪的进一步非理性升温。 When clear signs of a bubble appeared in the asset market, regulators introduced macroprudential measures at the right time, effectively curbing further irrational overheating in market sentiment.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, agriculture, business strategy, diplomacy, management

Tone: strategic

Do Say

• 优秀的危机公关专家深知，在舆论压力最为集中的时间节点上适时发声，往往比事后数倍的解释和澄清更能有效扭转公众认知和重建品牌信誉。(Excellent crisis communications specialists know well that speaking out at the right moment — when public opinion pressure is at its most concentrated — is often far more effective at reversing public perception and rebuilding brand credibility than several times the amount of explanation and clarification after the fact.)
• 经济学家建议，中央银行在通胀压力开始显现但尚未失控之际适时加息，可以在维持经济增长动能的同时有效抑制价格水平的持续上行。(Economists advise that if the central bank raises interest rates at the right time — when inflationary pressure begins to emerge but has not yet lost control — it can effectively restrain the continued upward movement of price levels while maintaining the momentum of economic growth.)

Don't Say

• 适时 when simply meaning 'quickly' or 'without delay' — use 及时 (in time, promptly); 适时 is about choosing the optimal moment, not merely acting quickly; using 适时 where 及时 is intended can imply an unintended strategic calculation where none exists

Origin & History

适 (appropriate, fitting — to suit) + 时 (time, timing — 日 sun + 寺 temple/hour)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal