古时 (gǔ shí) — ancient times, antiquity

Definition

noun

ancient timesantiquity

古时。
gǔ shí De rén men shēng huó hěn jiǎn pǔ.
People in ancient times lived a very simple life.
古时。
Zhè běn shū jì lù le gǔ shí de fēng sú xí guàn.
This book records the customs and habits of antiquity.
古时。
Liǎo jiě gǔ shí de wén huà néng bāng zhù wǒ men lǐ jiě xiàn zài.
Understanding the culture of ancient times can help us understand the present.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

古gǔancient

古 meaning ancient and 时 meaning time combine to refer to long-past times.

Characters in this word

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

One reading of 古 sees a shield-like shape above an open mark, showing strength and firmness. Another sees a person spitting out bad-tasting food.

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

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.