HSK · Level 45
120 words
Chinese word
时隔
Pronunciation
Pinyinshí gé
Meaning
- verbafter a lapse of
Example
时隔两年，他才决定离开。shí gé liǎng nián tā cái jué dìng lí kāi
After two years, he finally decided to leave.
More examples
时隔数月，他们终于达成了协议。shí gé shù yuè tā men zhōng yú dá chéng le xié yì
After several months, they finally reached an agreement.
Core concept
Events are connected by the stretch of time that separates them.
Common phrases
时隔两年shí gé liǎng nián
after two years
时隔多年shí gé duō nián
after many years
时隔数月shí gé shù yuè
after several months
Similar words
相隔xiāng gé: Describes a time gap between two events or points in time.
隔gé: Expresses separation between two things through time or space.
间隔jiàn gé: Describes the length of the interval between two events or points in time.
相距xiāng jù: Expresses the time or distance separating two events or points in time.
Definition in Chinese
用于表示距离上一次发生某事已经过去一段时间，多以年、月、日等具体时间词作宾语，常见结构为“时隔＋时间”yòng yú biǎo shì jù lí shàng yí cì fā shēng mǒu shì yǐ jīng guò qù yí duàn shí jiān duō yǐ nián yuè rì děng jù tǐ shí jiān cí zuò bīn yǔ cháng jiàn jié gòu wèi shí gé shí jiān
Word origin
The components 时 (shí, "time") and 隔 (gé, "separate") treat elapsed time as a measured space between events.
Usage tips
- In casual conversation, a full clause that says time has passed often sounds more natural than this compact expression, which suits reports and narrative prose.
Other meanings
- be separated byverb
Opposites
- 紧接jǐn jiēfollow immediatelyverb
- 接着jiē zhein successionadverb