准时

• 拼音: zhǔn shí
• 汉字拆解: 准 = 氵(water) + 隹 (bird), a level/standard (originally a plumb line); 时 = 日 (sun) + 寸 (inch), time

含义

On time; punctual. Arriving or doing something at exactly the right or agreed time.

A positive and highly valued quality in Chinese culture, especially in professional settings. 准时到达 (arrive on time), 准时完成 (finish on time). Opposite: 迟到 (late), 提前 (early). Also used as an adverb: 她准时出现了 (she appeared right on time).

例句

1. 她每天都准时上班，从来不迟到。
2. 请大家明天上午九点准时到达会议室，我们准时开始。
3. 火车准时从站台出发，没有任何延误。

用法指南

语境: everyday, workplace, transport

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 无论发生什么，他总是能准时完成工作任务。(No matter what happens, he always manages to complete his work tasks on time.)
• 我们约好八点见面，希望你能准时到。(We agreed to meet at eight — I hope you can be there on time.)

错误说法

• 把'准时'用于描述提前到达的情况 (Don't use 准时 to describe arriving early — it specifically means exactly on time, not ahead of schedule; use 提前 for early arrival)

起源与历史

From 准 (accurate/standard, 氵water + 隹 bird — a plumb line level used in construction) and 时 (time, 日 sun + 寸 inch — measured time), together meaning 'accurate to the time'.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal