时
Character learning workspace

shí · time, season

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 2Frequency #115
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 时

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 时 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

7Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

日Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 时 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 时

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

shíWords pronounced shí
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 时 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ bú zài de shí hòu yǒu méi yǒu rén lái?我不在的时候有没有人来?

Did anyone come in my absence?

Source: Tatoeba #402916 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ lái le hǎo cháng shí jiān le.我来了好长时间了。

I've been here for a while.

Source: Tatoeba #374887 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā ràng wǒ děng le yí gè duō xiǎo shí.他让我等了一个多小时。

He kept me waiting for more than an hour.

Source: Tatoeba #1171201 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yì qǐ qù, dàn shì wǒ méi yǒu shí jiān.我想和你一起去,但是我没有时间。

I would have liked to come with you, but I didn't have time.

Source: Tatoeba #1878426 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā dāng shí yí gè rén zài jiā.他当时一个人在家。

He was home alone at the time.

Source: Tatoeba #472857 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā kàn dào wǒ de shí hòu hé wǒ shuō huà.他看到我的时候和我说话。

He spoke to me when he saw me.

Source: Tatoeba #9961544 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 时 in context

  1. Say shí, then recall the core meaning: time, season.
  2. Write all 7 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 时候 (shí hou), meaning “time”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 时 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.