小时候 (xiǎo shí hou) — childhood | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Casual, everyday way to say 'childhood' or 'when one was little' (often used as a time phrase at the start of a sentence). 童年 is more literary and refers to childhood as a period.

noun

childhood

Examples

小时候，。
xiǎo shí hou, Wǒ jīng cháng hé gē ge yì qǐ wán.
When I was little, I often played with my brother.
小时候。
Wǒ xiǎo shí hou xǐ huan chī píng guǒ.
I liked to eat apples when I was a child.
小时候，。
xiǎo shí hou, Mā ma měi tiān gěi wǒ jiǎng gù shi.
When I was little, my mom told me stories every day.

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.

时候time

时shítime候hòutime

联合Coordinate

小时候 means childhood, the 时候/time when one is 小/small.

Characters in this word

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

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

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.

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

矦

矦hóu候hòu

Same sound today

候 combines 亻, relating to people, with 矦, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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