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HSK 2

时间

time

nounneutral1 episode
时
shí2nd tone
间
jiān1st tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
shíjiān
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 2
Strokes
14
Register
neutral
Measure word
段 / 点
In episodes
1

Stroke order for 时间

时间 is written with 14 strokes (时: 7, 间: 7). The animation replays automatically.

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 by character

时shítime; hour
+
间jiānbetween; space; interval
=
时间

Memory hook: 时 (hour) + 间 (interval) = the interval between hours — time itself.

Hear 时间 in real episodes

时间 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.

Jake Climbed El Capitan in 2 Hours 55 Minutes. He Fell While Climbing and Died at 30.时间 spoken at natural speedbeginner
Browse the full episode library

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

有时间yǒu shíjiānto have time
没时间méi shíjiānto not have time
时间不够shíjiān bú gòunot enough time
一段时间yí duàn shíjiāna period of time
花时间huā shíjiānto spend time

Synonyms

时候shíhou

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shíguāng

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shíhou

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xiǎoshí

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diǎn

点 means 'o'clock' for clock time: 三点 ('three o'clock'). 时间 is broader; for the clock, use 点 or 几点.

FAQ

Related words from the same episodes

快fast, quick爬to climb朋友friend山hill, mountain上面the top, above石头stone想to think of, to miss知道to know

Acquire it by listening

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