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那时 (nà shí) — at that time, then; in those days

Definition

pronoun
at that timethenin those days

Examples

  • 那时。
    nà shí Wǒ hái zhù zài běi jīng.
    I was still living in Beijing at that time.
  • 那时。
    nà shí Tā gāng xué huì kāi chē.
    He had just learned to drive then.
  • 那时。
    nà shí Wǒ men hái méi yǒu shǒu jī.
    We didn't have cellphones in those days.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
邑邑yìcity
Sound part声符shēngfú
冄
冉rǎn那nà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The right part 邑 shows a city, and the left part 冄 (written 冉) gives the sound. The character first named a state and was later used to mean 'that'.

Open 那 →

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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