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倒计时 (dào jì shí) — to count down (the remaining time)

Definition

倒计时 focuses on counting down time (e.g., before a launch). Unlike 倒数, it is not used for counting from the bottom of a ranking or list.

verb
to count down (the remaining time)

Examples

  • ，倒计时。
    Xīn nián zhōng shēng qiāo xiǎng qián, quán chǎng yì qǐ dào jì shí.
    Before the New Year bell rang, the whole audience counted down together.
  • ，倒计时。
    Huǒ jiàn fā shè shí, zhǐ huī yuán dào jì shí shí miǎo.
    During the rocket launch, the commander counted down ten seconds.
  • ，倒计时。
    Bǐ sài jié shù qián, cái pàn kāi shǐ dào jì shí.
    Before the match ended, the referee started the countdown.

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.

倒dǎoreverse
计时count time
计jìcount时shítime
动宾Verb + object

倒 means reverse, 计 means count, and 时 means time; the word describes counting time backwards.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
到
到dào倒dào
Same sound today

倒 combines 亻 (person) with 到, which gives the sound.

Open 倒 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 計; 计 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 計 pairs 言 (say) with 十 (all). The simplified 计 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical shape.

Open 计 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Time (Abstract)

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