时间差 (shí jiān chā) — time difference (between time zones)

Definition

noun

time difference (between time zones)

Measure word · 个

时间差。
Běi jīng hé niǔ yuē de shí jiān chā shì shí sān gè xiǎo shí.
The time difference between Beijing and New York is thirteen hours.
时间差。
Wǒ men yào jì suàn liǎng gè chéng shì de shí jiān chā.
We need to calculate the time difference between the two cities.
时间差，。
Yóu yú shí jiān chā, wǒ men zhǐ néng zài wǎn shàng kāi huì.
Because of the time difference, we can only have the meeting in the evening.

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.

时间time

联合Side by side

差chàdifference

时间 supplies the idea of time and 差 supplies difference, giving a time difference.

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

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.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.