少时 (shào shí) — youth, young age (literary)

Definition

Literary noun for 'youth / young age', used almost only in writing to refer to one's early years. Functions as a time-setting adverbial, often paired with 回忆.

noun
youthyoung age (literary)

Examples

  • 少时，。
    shào shí, Tā xǐ huan zài hé biān dú shū.
    In his youth, he liked to read by the river.
  • 少时。
    shào shí De huí yì zǒng shì nà me měi hǎo.
    Memories of youth are always so beautiful.
  • 少时，。
    Tā shào shí jiā jìng pín hán, dàn xué xí kè kǔ.
    His family was poor in his youth, but he studied hard.

Origin

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.

少shǎoyoung
时shítime

少 young and 时 time combine to mean a young period of life.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.