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七秒 (qī miǎo) — seven seconds

Definition

Literally 'seven seconds' — used as a fixed phrase (e.g. goldfish memory myth, short clips), not for precise timing. For an exact duration, use the full numeral 七秒钟.

noun
seven seconds

Examples

  • 七秒。
    Zhè ge shì pín zhǐ yǒu qī miǎo.
    This video is only seven seconds long.
  • 七秒。
    Tā yòng le qī miǎo jiù pǎo dào le zhōng diǎn.
    He reached the finish line in seven seconds.
  • 七秒。
    Rén men cháng shuō jīn yú zhǐ yǒu qī miǎo jì yì.
    People often say goldfish have only a seven-second memory.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 七 comes from two crossing lines: the top line runs left to right, and the next line goes down and across.

Open 七 →

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hécereal; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
少
少shǎo秒miǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 秒 pairs 禾, a cereal or grain plant, with 少 giving the sound.

Open 秒 →
Appears in
Numbers & CountingUnits & Measurement

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