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随时 (suí shí) — at any time; whenever (necessary)

Definition

随时 means 'at any time' — available or possible whenever. Unlike 及时 ('promptly, without delay'), it has no urgency; it just signals readiness or unpredictability.

adverb
at any timewhenever (necessary)

Examples

  • 随时。
    Yǒu wèn tí kě yǐ suí shí wèn wǒ.
    You can ask me questions at any time.
  • 随时，。
    Tiān qì suí shí kě néng biàn huà, duō chuān diǎn yī fu.
    The weather can change at any time, so wear more clothes.
  • 随时，。
    Nǐ suí shí dōu kě yǐ lái, wǒ men dōu zài jiā.
    You can come over anytime; we're all at home.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

随suífollow
时shítime

随 gives following, and 时 gives time, so the whole means at any 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 隨; 随 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡐦
𡐦𡐦隨suí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隨 pairs 辵 (walking) with 𡐦 (the sound part); the simplified 随 is a later shorthand.

Open 随 →

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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