Chinese word

时间

Pronunciation

Pinyinshí jiān

Meaning

  • nountime

Example

你有时间吗？nǐ yǒu shí jiān ma

Do you have time?

Illustration for 时间 (time)

More examples

我没有时间做作业。wǒ méi yǒu shí jiān zuò zuò yè

I don't have time to do my homework.

Core concept

The flow in which events occur, from a brief moment through a long period or historical era.

Common phrases

  • 没有时间méi yǒu shí jiān

    have no time

  • 有时间吗yǒu shí jiān ma

    have time

Similar words

时刻shí kè: A precise moment or time point.
时候shí hòu: The time or period connected with an event, without a precise point.

Definition in Chinese

表示时刻、某一时段或持续长短的概念，既可以指具体的时间点，也可以指一段时间或时期。biǎo shì shí kè mǒu yì shí duàn huò chí xù cháng duǎn de gài niàn jì ké yǐ zhǐ jù tǐ de shí jiān diǎn yě ké yǐ zhǐ yí duàn shí jiān huò shí qī

Word origin

时间 (shíjiān, "time") is built from 时 (shí, "time or hour") and 间 (jiān, "interval"), so its form naturally covers both a point and a duration.

Usage tips

  • Chinese uses this noun for available free time as well as for clock or calendar time, so it can describe whether someone is busy without naming a specific hour.

Other meanings

  • momentnoun
  • periodnoun
  • eranoun

Word lists with this word