时态 (shí tài) — (linguistics) tense | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

(linguistics) tense

Examples

，时态、。
Zài yīng yǔ zhōng, dòng cí de shí tài kě yǐ biǎo shì guò qù, xiàn zài huò jiāng lái.
In English, the tense of a verb can indicate past, present, or future.
，时态。
Xué xí hàn yǔ shí, yào zhù yì shí tài hé yīng yǔ yǒu shén me bù tóng.
When learning Chinese, pay attention to how tense differs from English.
时态。
Zhè ge shí tài biǎo shì de dòng zuò yǐ jīng wán chéng le.
This tense indicates an action that has already been completed.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

The meanings 时 and 态 combine to name the grammatical notion of tense.

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.

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

太心态

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

太

太tài态tài

Same sound today

态 is made of 太, which gives the sound, and 心 (heart).

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