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时差 (shí chā) — time difference (between time zones); jet lag (the physical discomfort from crossing time zones)

Definition

时差 means time difference across time zones, and also the jet lag you feel from crossing them. Different from 差距, which is a general 'gap' or 'disparity' between things like scores, income, or quality.

noun
time difference (between time zones)jet lag (the physical discomfort from crossing time zones)

Examples

  • 时差。
    Běi jīng hé niǔ yuē de shí chā shì shí sān xiǎo shí.
    The time difference between Beijing and New York is 13 hours.
  • ，时差。
    Wǒ gāng cóng měi guó huí lái, zhèng zài dǎo shí chā.
    I just came back from the US and am recovering from jet lag.
  • ，时差。
    Cháng tú fēi xíng hòu, nǐ xū yào jǐ tiān lái shì yìng shí chā.
    After a long flight, you need a few days to adjust to the jet lag.

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shítime
差chàdifference

时 means 'time' and 差 means 'difference', giving a difference in time.

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.

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 →

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

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 6Time (Abstract)

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