时 (shí) means "time" with 7 strokes, radical 日 (sun), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: time
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The traditional form 時 is a phono-semantic compound: 日 (sun) gives the meaning 'time' via its connection to daylight and solar movement, while 寺 (sì) provides the sound. Early oracle bone and bronze forms actually use 之 (zhī) as the phonetic element on top of 日, and 寺 appears only later as the phonetic shifted. The simplified form 时 replaces 寺 with 寸, giving a cleaner but etymologically opaque shape.
Form evolution
Oracle bone forms show 日 with 之 above or beside it. Bronze and seal scripts settled on 日 + 寺 (the form preserved in traditional Chinese as 時). Clerical script regularised this, and modern traditional楷书 is 時. The PRC's 1956 simplification replaced 寺 with 寸, producing 时, which is used across the mainland and Singapore.
How the meaning evolved
The earliest attested meaning is 'season' or 'the proper time for something,' as in agricultural timing. This broadened to 'time' in general, 'hour,' 'moment,' and 'era.' Modern Mandarin uses 时 for all of these: 时间 (time), 小时 (hour), 时代 (era), 有时 (sometimes). The ancient sense of 'right timing' survives in 及时 (in time, timely) and 按时 (on time).
Cultural note
The classical phrase 时不我待 (time does not wait for us) captures the Confucian emphasis on seizing the proper moment. Learners should note that 时候 (shíhou, 'time/moment') and 时间 (shíjiān, 'duration of time') are not interchangeable: 时候 is a point in time, 时间 is a span.
Mnemonic
The sun measured in inches — time
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | shí |
| Meanings | time |
| Stroke count | 7 strokes |
| Radical | 日 (#72: sun) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1, write by hand at HSK 1-2 |
| Frequency | #27 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 时
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 时 | shí | time | HSK 2 |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour | HSK 1 |
| 时候 | shíhou | time | HSK 1 |
| 时间 | shíjiān | time | HSK 1 |
| 按时 | ànshí | on time | HSK 4 |
| 当时 | dāngshí | at that time | HSK 4 |
| 及时 | jíshí | timely | HSK 4 |
| 平时 | píngshí | peacetime | HSK 3 |
| 同时 | tóngshí | meanwhile | HSK 4 |
| 暂时 | zànshí | temporary | HSK 4 |
| 准时 | zhǔnshí | on time | HSK 4 |
| 临时 | línshí | temporary | HSK 5 |
| 时代 | shídài | times, epoch | HSK 5 |
| 时髦 | shímáo | Fashionable | HSK 7-9 |
| 时尚 | shíshàng | fashion | HSK 6 |
| 时差 | shíchā | time difference | HSK 5 |
| 时刻 | shíkè | time | HSK 5 |
| 时期 | shíqī | period | HSK 5 |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time | HSK 5 |
| 不失时机 | bùshīshíjī | seize the opportune moment |
Related characters
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.