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黄金时间 (huáng jīn shí jiān) — (noun) prime time (broadcasting); (noun) golden hour (photography / medicine)

Definition

A fixed phrase (黄金 + 时间) meaning the 'best' window of time. In TV it is prime time; in photography and emergency medicine it is the golden hour — the brief period with the best light or the best chance to save a life.

noun
prime time (broadcasting)golden hour (photography / medicine)

Examples

  • 黄金时间。
    Hěn duō guǎng gào shāng dōu yuàn yì mǎi huáng jīn shí jiān de guǎng gào wèi.
    Many advertisers are willing to buy advertising slots during prime time.
  • 黄金时间。
    Shè yǐng shī xǐ huan zài huáng jīn shí jiān pāi zhào piàn.
    Photographers like to take photos during the golden hour.
  • 黄金时间。
    Shì gù hòu de huáng jīn shí jiān fēi cháng guān jiàn.
    The golden hour after an accident is very critical.

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.

黄金gold
黄huángyellow金jīnmetal
偏正Modifier + head
时间time
时shítime间jiāninterval
联合Coordinate

黄金 names gold and 时间 names time, so the word means a golden 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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 间 →
Appears in
Time of Day

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