光阴 (guāng yīn) — time (as a fleeting, precious resource; literary/formal register)

Definition

Examples

• 光阴似箭，转眼间一年就过去了。
  guāng yīn Sì jiàn, zhuǎn yǎn jiān yì nián jiù guò qù le.
  Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye a year has passed.
• 我们要珍惜每一寸光阴。
  Wǒ men yào zhēn xī měi yí cùn guāng yīn.
  We must cherish every moment of time.
• 大学四年的光阴很快就过去了。
  Dà xué sì nián de guāng yīn hěn kuài jiù guò qù le.
  The four years of university passed very quickly.