报时 (bào shí) — to announce the correct time; to give the time signal

Definition

报时 means a clock or broadcast announces the correct time, typically on the hour. 报 is 'announce/report'; 时 is 'time.'

verb
to announce the correct timeto give the time signal

Examples

  • 报时。
    Zhè ge zhōng měi xiǎo shí bào shí yí cì.
    This clock announces the time once every hour.
  • 报时。
    Guǎng bō diàn tái měi dào zhěng diǎn dōu huì bào shí.
    The radio station announces the time on every hour.
  • 。
    Tā bāng wǒ men bào le yí cì shí.
    He announced the time for us once.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

报bàoannounce
时shítime

报 means announce and 时 means time; together they describe announcing the time.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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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