入时 (rù shí) — fashionable, stylish

Definition

A literary, written-style adjective meaning 'fashionable, in vogue' — used in formal writing about fashion, design, or trends rather than everyday speech.

adjective
fashionablestylish

Examples

  • 入时。
    Tā jīn tiān de dǎ bàn hěn rù shí.
    Her outfit today is very stylish.
  • 入时。
    Zhè ge pǐn pái de fú zhuāng shè jì fēi cháng rù shí.
    This brand's clothing designs are very fashionable.
  • 入时。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn rù shí de xī zhuāng cān jiā wǎn huì.
    He wore a fashionable suit to the evening party.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

入rùenter
时shítimes

"入" (enter) and "时" (times) combine to mean fitting into current fashion.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

入 is drawn as an arrowhead, indicating 'to enter'.

Open 入 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 時; 时 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun; day
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī時shí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 時 pairs 日 (sun/day) with 之 as the part that gives the sound; the simplified 时 is not the form described.

Open 时 →

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