太阳时 (tài yáng shí) — solar time (time based on the sun's position)

Definition

Technical HSK 7 term for 'solar time' — time measured by the sun's position in the sky. Distinct from 标准时间 (standard/clock time), which is set by time zones.

noun
solar time (time based on the sun's position)

Examples

  • 太阳时。
    tài yáng shí Shì gēn jù tài yáng de wèi zhì lái jì suàn de.
    Solar time is calculated based on the sun's position.
  • 太阳时。
    Gǔ dài rén men yòng rì guǐ cè liáng tài yáng shí.
    Ancient people used sundials to measure solar time.
  • 太阳时。
    tài yáng shí Hé biāo zhǔn shí jiān yǒu shí huì xiāng chā jǐ fēn zhōng.
    Solar time and standard time sometimes differ by a few minutes.

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.

太阳sun
太tàigreat阳yángsun
偏正Modifier + head
时shítime

太阳 means the sun, 时 means time, so the word means time based on the sun.

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.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

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 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng陽yáng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

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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