Every Chinese character has a story
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时

时 (shí) Chinese Character: time; hour; when

7 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 日

Follow the sun through the day and think of measured time: 时.

Practice 时 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: Using the Sun to Keep Time

时 (shí) is a building block for talking about time. The 日 radical reminds you that people once organized daily life by daylight and seasonal change. In modern Chinese, 时间 means “time,” 小时 means “hour,” and 时候 means “time” or “when.” The question 什么时候 asks “when?” A useful word-building habit is to learn 时 inside these complete words instead of forcing one English translation into every sentence. For example, 我没有时间 means “I do not have time,” while 你什么时候来 means “When are you coming?” Say shí with a rising second tone. When writing, keep 日 narrow so that 寸 has enough room. Do not confuse 时 with 对: their right side is similar, but the left-side clue changes the word family.

Learn 时 with a four-step memory story

Memory story — a learning aid, not the historical origin of the character.

1 · Picture the scene

You check a clock before leaving home. The bus arrives soon, so every minute matters.

2 · Connect the meaning

时 is the general idea of time and appears inside common questions and time units.

3 · Use real Chinese
  • 时间: 时 (time) + 间 (interval or space) = time
  • 小时: 小 (small) + 时 (time unit) = hour
  • 什么时候: 什么 (what) + 时候 (time or moment) = when
4 · Recall without looking

Which character completes both 时间 and 小时?

Show the answer时 (shí) = time; hour; when
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

时间
时time间interval=time
小时
小small时time unit=hour

Chinese character origin and etymology

时 is the simplified form of 時. The traditional character is a phonosemantic compound in which 日 marks the meaning area of the sun, seasons, and time, while 寺 supplies the historical sound clue. Its meanings expanded from the proper season or time to time, hour, and “when” in common words.

时 is a seven-stroke left-right character. Write the narrow 日 first, then the three strokes of 寸 on the right. 时 contains 日 and 寸. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

时 is written with 7 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 日 — sun; day — gives the time and season category
  • 寸 — simplified right side — replaces the 寺 sound element of 時

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 时 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

我没有时间。 Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān. I do not have time.
你什么时候来？ Nǐ shénme shíhou lái? When are you coming?
学习需要时间。 Xuéxí xūyào shíjiān. Studying takes time.

Learning tips for 时

Learn the reading as one unit: shí, with the second tone: rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “time; hour; when,” and write the 7 strokes from memory.

Because 时 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 日 (rì, sun; day); 点 (diǎn, o’clock; point); 分 (fēn, minute; divide). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 时 without pinyin?
  • Can you say shí with the correct tone and explain “time; hour; when”?
  • Can you write all 7 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 时 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Learn 时 in a themed collection

Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.

🕒 Chinese Time Words

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.