时 shí

HSK 1 Writing L2

The sun's (日) measured cycle marking seasons and time.

Time, hour, moment, era, or current fashion. Sun (日) beside a temple (寺): the sun's path sets the temple's schedule.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 时候 (shíhou) — time / moment (when)
  • 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) — when
  • 现在是什么时 现在几点

    时 never stands alone for clock time. Use 几点.

  • 什么时 什么时候

    时 alone does not mean 'when'. The everyday word is 时候.

What's the difference between 时候 and 时间 — can I use them interchangeably?

时候 is 'the moment when', 时间 is 'time as a chunk you spend or save'.

时候 points to a specific occasion: 我小的时候, 你什么时候来. 时间 treats time like a quantity: 我没有时间, 时间不够. If you can swap in 'when', use 时候. If you can swap in 'time to do something', use 时间.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Asking when你什么时候来?你什么时间来?
Saying no time我没有时间我没有时候
Childhood memory我小的时候我小的时间

If someone asks the time, why can't I answer with 小时?

小时 is a duration (how long), 点 is a clock reading (what time).

小时 counts hours like a stopwatch: 我等了两个小时. 点 tells the clock: 现在三点. Mixing them is like answering 'how long did you wait?' with 'three o'clock'.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Clock time现在三点现在三小时
Duration我睡了八个小时我睡了八个点
Meeting time我们三点见我们三小时见

Can I drop 候 and just say 时 for 'when'?

No — 时 alone almost never means 'when' in modern speech; you need 时候.

时 is a building block, not a standalone word for 'when'. 什么时候 is the everyday phrase. 时 shows up in fixed words like 小时 and 时间, but saying 什么时 sounds like a telegram from 1920.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Everyday 'when'什么时候什么时
Childhood memory我小的时候我小的时
Sometimes有时候有的时

Appears in Stories 15 stories

《慢还是快?》 Slow or Fast? A Language Learner's Debate
HSK 2 ~8 min read 593 chars
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Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.

  • B:我们说话的 时候 ,只说“汉语”就可以了,就是说“中文老师、汉语老师”都可以。

  • 我去年住在上海的 时候 ,去一个汉语学校学习汉语,学了一个月。

  • 你知道,学习汉语很有意思,但是 那个时候 ,我们班有三十个同学。

  • A:你学汉语 多长时间 了?

  • 大学里面的学生,每天学四个 学时 ,四年要学两千八百个 学时 。

  • 他们过五级要两千个 学时 。

  • 有两千个 小时 这么多 时间 学习吗?

  • 我这四年要忙工作,说真话,没有很多 时间 学汉语。

  • 我这四年上网跟老师上课,学了最多四百个 学时 。

  • 我自己还下了一个APP,做HSK题,自己学了最多两百个 小时 。

  • 六百个 小时 HSK五级,你的学习真好!

《你误会方便面了吗?》 Are Instant Noodles Misunderstood?
HSK 6 ~10 min read 1171 chars
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Think instant noodles are unhealthy? This HSK 6 article challenges common myths and reveals surprising facts about nutrition, oil, and salt in this convenient food.

  • 在吃方便面 时 也可以再多加一些蔬菜、水果什么的,让它营养更多。

  • 就是说,高温的 时候 也不容易产生有害物质。

  • 我们通常说,加热食品的 时候 ,最高不能超过200℃。

  • 而方便面油炸 时 的油温在145℃-165℃之间,而且油炸的 时间 只有几十秒钟。

  • 由于油炸温度低、 时间 短,不仅棕榈油不会被“炸坏”,而且方便面中的营养成分损失也比较少。

  • 而当人们用开水泡面的 时候 ,如果不另外加盐,还会觉得淡。

《森林大火》 Forest Fires and a Homesick Heart
HSK 4 ~4 min read 454 chars
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Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.

  • 这个季节,日照 时间 很长,所以也很热。

  • 他 小时候 住在中国的东北,那里的森林也很多。

  • 春天和夏天雨水少,温度高的 时候 ,人们也要特别小心森林大火。

《我的一天》 My Day by the Clock
HSK 1 ~1 min read 72 chars
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Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.

  • 怎么说 时间 ?

  • 上午四 小时 ,中午吃中饭。

《大飞机》 The Big Airplane
HSK 1 ~2 min read 97 chars
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Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.

  • 到北京的 时候 ,北京正在下大雨。

  • 我们下飞机的 时候 是白天,但是天气有一点儿冷。

《你喜欢看老电影吗?》 Do You Like Old Movies?
HSK 2 ~3 min read 224 chars
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In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.

  • 我 有时 会去游泳。

  • 有的时候 ,老电影比现在的新电影有意思。

《饥饿的深意》 The Hidden Meaning of Hunger
HSK 7 ~11 min read 1243 chars
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Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.

  • 说这句话的 时候 ,他筷子搁在碗上。

  • 烤和牛上桌的 时候 别人都在夹。

《大学者和小人物》 The Scholar and the Cookie Seller
HSK 5 ~8 min read 882 chars
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Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.

  • 你信上说的那个”杜鲁门没有带走一个人”的故事,也正和邱吉尔在一九四五年离开唐宁街十号 时 没有带走一个人,是一样的。

  • 后来,他们又谈到 小时候的 生活。

《去上海》 Train or Plane to Shanghai
HSK 2 ~2 min read 151 chars
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Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.

  • 从北京到上海坐飞机,不到两个 小时 ,但是要坐火车,就要最少五个多 小时 。

  • 坐火车比坐飞机便宜得多,去飞机场也要花很多 时间 ,所以,小商觉得坐火车比坐飞机好。

《很贵的苹果》 The Expensive Apples
HSK 1 ~2 min read 137 chars
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This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.

  • 今天白天的 时候 ,我去我家这边的超市买东西。

《一二三(2)》 Counting Days and Rhymes
HSK 1 ~2 min read 84 chars
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This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.

  • 工作两三年,休息四五天,读书一 小时 ,吃饭五分钟。

《成语0001:东山再起》 The Comeback: From Eastern Mountain to Success
HSK 7 ~5 min read 589 chars
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Learn the fascinating story behind the Chinese idiom '东山再起' (Dongshan Zaiji), which means to make a comeback. Discover its historical roots and modern usage.

  • 故事发生在距离今天大约1700年的东晋 时代 。

《友好的高友朋》 A Friendly New Friend at Work
HSK 2 ~4 min read 243 chars
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Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.

  • 他也在中为公司工作,但是因为周一我来公司的 时候 ,他去上海了,所以我没有看见他。

《七号桌的客人》 The Guest at Table Seven
HSK 1 ~5 min read 396 chars
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This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.

  • 天天都是 这个时候 。

《小时怎么小?》 The Small Hour Riddle
HSK 1 ~1 min read 57 chars
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This playful HSK 1 poem twists words you already know and asks how an hour can be small. Read it aloud and laugh; a fun way to practice Chinese.

  • 小猫小的猫,小狗小的狗,小学不很小, 小时 怎么小?

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