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时节 (shí jié) — season; (appropriate) time; period

Definition

时节 means 'season' (natural time of year) or 'the right time' for something — closer to seasonal timing than the neutral duration words 期间 and 时期, and less poetic/literary than 岁月.

noun
season(appropriate) timeperiod

Examples

  • 时节。
    Xiàn zài shì shǎng huā de shí jié.
    Now is the season for flower viewing.
  • 时节。
    Chūn tiān shì bō zhòng de shí jié.
    Spring is the season for planting.
  • 时节，。
    Dào le zhè ge shí jié, dà jiā jiù kāi shǐ zhǔn bèi guò nián le.
    When this time comes, everyone starts preparing for the New Year.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

时shítime
节jiéseason

时 time and 节 season together mean a season or period.

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 →

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Climate & Seasons

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.