时

• 拼音: shí
• 汉字拆解: 时 = 日 (sun) + 寸 (inch), simplified from 時; the sun's position measuring the passage of time

含义

Time; hour; when; at the time of. A versatile time-related morpheme used in many common compounds.

Rarely used alone in modern Chinese — it typically appears in compounds: 小时 (hour), 时间 (time), 时候 (when/time), 按时 (on time), 同时 (at the same time), 及时 (in time/timely). In classical-style constructions or formal writing, it can function as 'at the time of' or 'when.' Essential for understanding many time-related expressions.

例句

1. 他年轻时曾在农村生活过。
2. 吃饭的时候不要看手机。
3. 放学的时候别忘了带书包。

用法指南

语境: time, schedules, grammar

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 你吃饭的时候喜欢看电视吗？(Do you like watching TV while eating?)
• 他有时候很安静，有时候很活泼。(Sometimes he is very quiet, sometimes very lively.)

错误说法

• 现在是下午三时。(While grammatically correct, 三时 is overly formal for spoken Chinese — say 三点 instead. 时 for clock time is mainly used in written or official contexts.)

起源与历史

The traditional form 時 contains 日 (sun) and 寺 (temple/phonetic), representing the movement of the sun marking the passage of time.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal