Writing
时候 (shíhou) — how to say "time" in Chinese
时候
Time, moment
noun
Character composition
时
time; hour
候
time; to wait
Radicals / Keys
日
Sun
#72 · rì · 4 strokes
人
Man
#9 · rén · 2 strokes
Collocations
小的时候
xiǎo de shíhou
when young
Examples
你想去北京的时候，我想去。
When you want to go to Beijing, I will also want to.
什么时候
When?
Mnemonic
[shíhou-] Sherlock Holmes is at the train station, checking the clock 时 "time" ⏰ and eagerly waiting for the train to arrive, ready to head off on a new adventure. In each hand, he holds a magnifying glass to scrutinize every moment 时候 "time" for any clues that might help him in his detective work.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "time" in Chinese?
"time" in Chinese is 时候 (shíhou).
What does 时候 mean in English?
时候 (shíhou) means "Time, moment".
Time in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced shíhou (written as shihou). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "time" in Chinese characters?
It is written 时候: 时 has 7 strokes, 候 has 10 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 时候?
时候 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 时候
什么 — question words
什么 (shénme) / 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) / 谁 (shéi) / 哪儿 (nǎr) / 为什么 (wèishéme) / 怎么 (zěnme)
的时候 — when
⋯⋯的时候 (de shíhou)
当 — when, at the time
当 (dāng) + Time / Event + 的时候 (de shíhou), Main Clause
顺便 — while you're at it
Subj. ＋Verb Phrase 1，顺便 (shùnbiàn) + Verb Phrase 2
到时候 — when the time comes
到时候 (dào shíhou), Main Clause (future reference)
有时 / 有时候 — sometimes
Subj. + 有时 (yǒushí) / 有时候 (yǒushíhou) + Verb phrase