time in Chinese

How to write 时间

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

时间 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

时间 in a sentence

• 你nǐ有yǒu时shí间jiān吗ma？

  Do you have time?

• 时shí间jiān过guò得dé真zhēn快kuài。

  Time flies.

• 现xiàn在zài几jǐ点diǎn了le？

  What time is it now?

• 我wǒ最zuì近jìn没méi有yǒu时shí间jiān。

  I haven't had time lately.

时间 vs 时候 vs 小时

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 时候 shí hou time; moment; when

  时间 = duration or clock time (没有时间 'no time'); 时候 = a point or stretch 'when' — 吃饭的时候 'while eating'.

• 小时 xiǎo shí hour

  A measured unit — 两个小时 'two hours'. 时间 is the abstract concept 'time'.