时年 (shí nián) — (literary) at that time, in those years (used to specify age or year in historical/biographical contexts)

Definition

Literary word meaning 'at that time / in those years,' almost always found in historical or biographical writing. Use it when referring to a specific past age or era, not for everyday 'now.'

noun
(literary) at that timein those years (used to specify age or year in historical/biographical contexts)

Examples

  • 时年，。
    Tā shí nián shí bā suì, biàn lí jiā qiú xué.
    At that time he was eighteen years old and left home to study.
  • 时年，。
    shí nián Zhèng zhí zhàn zhēng, bǎi xìng shēng huó jiān nán.
    In those years it was wartime, and the people's lives were difficult.
  • 时年，。
    shí nián Tā yǐ chéng míng, zuò pǐn guǎng shòu hǎo píng.
    By that time he had already become famous, and his works were widely praised.

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.

时shíthen
年niányear or age

时 then specifies the 年 year or age being referred to.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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