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同时 (tóng shí) — at the same time; simultaneously

Definition

同时 marks two actions happening at the same moment, used as both a noun and a conjunction. Pairs naturally with 一边…一边…; 一齐 (yīqí) emphasizes 'all together,' while 一面 is more formal/written.

at the same timesimultaneously

Examples

  • ，同时。
    Tā yì biān gōng zuò, tóng shí xué xí.
    He works and studies at the same time.
  • 同时。
    Wǒ men bù néng tóng shí zuò tài duō shì qing.
    We can't do too many things at the same time.
  • 同时。
    Zhè liǎng jiàn shì tóng shí fā shēng.
    These two things happened at the same time.

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.

同tóngsame
时shítime

同 means same and 时 means time, so 同时 is at the same time.

Characters in this word

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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 →
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