时间
time
shíjiān
What does 时间 mean?
时间 (shíjiān) is the abstract noun 'time' — duration, the resource you spend, the concept itself. It is the word you use to say you have time, are short on time, or need time: 我有时间 ('I have time'), 没时间 ('no time'), 时间不够 ('not enough time'). It covers both 'how long' (duration) and 'when' (a point on the clock or calendar), but for clock time English-speakers should note: to ask 'what time is it,' Chinese normally uses 几点 (jǐ diǎn, 'what o'clock'), not 什么时间. 时间 also doesn't take 个 as a measure word the way English-speakers might expect; use 段 (duàn) for a stretch of time or 点 (diǎn) for a small amount. Related but distinct: 时候 (shíhou) means 'a moment / when,' used inside time clauses (吃饭的时候 'when eating'), while 时间 is the noun you handle and possess.
Character breakdown
time; hour
between; space; interval
Memory hook: 时 (hour) + 间 (interval) = the interval between hours — time itself.
Measure word for 时间
Example sentences
你今天有时间吗?
Nǐ jīntiān yǒu shíjiān ma?
Do you have time today?
spoken
对不起,我没时间。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ méi shíjiān.
Sorry, I don't have time.
spoken
学中文要花很多时间。
Xué Zhōngwén yào huā hěn duō shíjiān.
Learning Chinese takes a lot of time.
neutral
我们的时间不够了。
Wǒmen de shíjiān bú gòu le.
We're running out of time.
neutral
Common phrases with 时间
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
时间 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
时候 means 'when / the moment / point in time' and lives inside time clauses: 我小的时候 ('when I was little'). 时间 is the noun 'time' you have or lack. 'Do you have time?' = 你有时间吗? not 你有时候吗.
时光 ('time / hours') is poetic / literary, with a wistful feel — 美好的时光 ('wonderful times'). Use 时间 for everyday speech; reserve 时光 for emotional or written contexts.
Don't confuse 时间 with
时候 = 'when / point in time,' used in clauses; 时间 = 'time' as a resource. Common beginner mix-up: 你什么时间来? (incorrect for 'when will you come?') should be 你什么时候来?.
小时 is the unit 'hour' — 两个小时 ('two hours'). 时间 is the abstract concept. Don't say 两个时间 to mean 'two hours.'
点 means 'o'clock' for clock time: 三点 ('three o'clock'). 时间 is broader; for the clock, use 点 or 几点.