时机 (shí jī) — opportune moment, good timing, opportunity | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

时机 stresses the 'right moment' — it's about timing, not just chance. 机会 is the everyday word for any opportunity; 时机 is the specific moment to act.

noun

opportune momentgood timingopportunity

Examples

时机，。
Nǐ yào bǎ wò zhù zhè ge shí jī, bié cuò guò le.
You must seize this opportunity and not miss it.
，时机。
Tā děng dài le duō nián, zhōng yú děng dào le yí gè hǎo shí jī.
He waited for years and finally got a good opportunity.
时机。
Xiàn zài bú shì tǎo lùn zhè ge wèn tí de shí jī.
Now is not the right time to discuss this issue.

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.

机jīopportunity

时 gives the moment and 机 gives the opportunity, making a good time to act.

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Appears in

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