HSK Level 3

时刻

shí kè

time; hour; moment

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Example Sentences

早晨是鸟最欢乐的时刻。

zǎo chén shì niǎo zuì huān lè de shí kè .

Morning is the happiest time for birds.

我们要时刻保持警惕。

wǒ mén yào shí kè bǎo chí jǐnɡ tì .

We have to be alert at all times.

现在正是关键时刻。

xiàn zài zhènɡ shì ɡuān jiàn shí kè .

This is the critical moment.

Synonyms

时刻儿 (shíkè'er)

moment

时辰 (shíchén)

hour

Antonyms

有时 (yǒushí)

sometimes

偶尔 (ǒu'ěr)

occasionally

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 时刻 (shíkè) is composed of two characters: 时 (shí), meaning "time", and 刻 (kè), meaning "moment" or "instant". Together, they form the compound word 时刻, which means "moment" or "instant".The character 时 (shí) is derived from the ancient Chinese character for "sun" (日), which was used to represent the passage of time. The character 刻 (kè) is derived from the ancient Chinese character for "knife" (刀), which was used to represent a small unit of time, such as a moment or an instant.The word 时刻 (shíkè) is used in a variety of contexts to refer to a specific moment or instant in time. For example, it can be used to refer to the time of day, such as 早上八点一刻 (zǎoshang bā diǎn yī kè), which means "eight o'clock and fifteen minutes in the morning". It can also be used to refer to a specific moment in history, such as 一九四九年十月一日 (yī jiǔ sì jiǔ nián shí yuè yī rì), which means "October 1, 1949".The word 时刻 (shíkè) is a versatile and important word in the Chinese language. It is used in a variety of contexts to refer to a specific moment or instant in time.