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暂时 (zàn shí) — temporary, provisional; for the time being

Definition

A common adjective/adverb meaning 'temporary, for now'. Contrast with 临时, which focuses on a last-minute or improvised situation (临时抱佛脚), and with the more literary adverbs 暂且 and 姑且.

adjective
temporaryprovisionalfor the time being

Examples

  • 暂时，。
    Qǐng zàn shí liú zài zhè lǐ, bú yào zǒu.
    Please stay here temporarily; don't leave.
  • 暂时，。
    Zhè zhǐ shì zàn shí de ān pái, xià zhōu huì gǎi.
    This is only a temporary arrangement; it will change next week.
  • 暂时，。
    Tā zàn shí bù néng gōng zuò, xū yào xiū xi jǐ tiān.
    He can't work for the time being and needs to rest for a few days.

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.

暂zànshort
时shítime

暂 “short” plus 时 “time” gives a short time, hence temporary.

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 暫; 暂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
斬
斬zhǎn暫zàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 暫 has 日 (day) for the meaning and 斬 (zhǎn) for the sound; the simplified 暂 is a later shorthand.

Open 暂 →

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 →
Appears in
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