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时日 (shí rì) — time or period (formal/literary); specific day; date; long duration of time

Definition

A literary/formal noun for 'time' or 'a period of days,' used in writing rather than everyday speech. Often implies that time is limited (as in 时日无多, 'time is running short').

noun
time or period (formal/literary)specific daydatelong duration of time

Examples

  • ，。
    Cǐ shì dān ge le duō rì, xī wàng jǐn zǎo bàn tuǒ.
    This matter has been delayed for many days; I hope it can be settled soon.
  • 时日。
    Xuǎn zé hǎo shí rì cái néng jǔ xíng hūn lǐ.
    A favorable date must be chosen before the wedding can be held.
  • 时日，。
    shí rì Wú duō, wǒ men xū jiā kuài jìn dù.
    Time is running short; we need to speed up progress.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

时shítime
日rìday

时 and 日 both point to time or a day, so together they refer to a period or a particular date.

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 →

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

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →
Appears in
Time (Abstract)

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