及时 meaning in English
timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay
Meaning of 及时
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- timely; at the right time
- promptly; without delay
How to use 及时
及时 describes something done at the right moment, and it often comes before a verb as an adverb meaning promptly. 你来得真及时。(Nǐ lái de zhēn jíshí.) You came just in time.
及 (jí) means to reach, and 时 (shí) means time, so 及时 is reaching something right on time. Picture yourself arriving just as the clock strikes the hour.
Common mistake: Learners often use 及时 where 准时 (zhǔnshí, on schedule, punctual) fits better. 及时 means in time to be useful or before it is too late, while 准时 means exactly at the scheduled time, as in 准时上课.
及时 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
及 jí · and · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
时 shí · o'clock · 7 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 及时.
| 时候 | shíhou | time; length of time |
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 当时 | dāngshí | then; at that time |
| 那时 | nà shí | then; at that time |
| 同时 | tóngshí | at the same time; simultaneously |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood |
| 平时 | píngshí | ordinarily; in normal times |
| 这时候 | zhè shíhou |
Questions about 及时
What does 及时 mean?
及时 (jíshí) means "timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 及时?
及时 is made of 2 characters: 及 (3 strokes), 时 (7 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 及时 an HSK word?
Yes. 及时 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 及时 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 及时 is written 及時.
What is the difference between 及时 and 马上?
马上 (mǎshàng) means right away or immediately and focuses on speed. 及时 focuses on the timing being right, often before a problem gets worse, as in 及时看医生 (see a doctor in time).
Can 及时 be used as a verb or after 很?
It is not a verb, but it works as an adjective and can take degree words like 很 or 非常, as in 这场雨下得很及时 (This rain came at just the right time). It also commonly appears directly before verbs, like 及时回复 (reply promptly).