Meaning of 时光
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- time (esp. as sth that passes)
How to use 时光
时光 is a slightly literary word for time as something you live through and lose, often a period of life with feeling attached. It often follows words like 美好 (měihǎo) or 快乐 (kuàilè). Example: 那是我最快乐的时光。(Nà shì wǒ zuì kuàilè de shíguāng.) That was the happiest time of my life.
时 (shí) means time and 光 (guāng) means light, so 时光 is time pictured as light that shines and then slips away. Think of sunlight moving across a room as the hours pass.
Common mistake: Learners use 时光 where 时间 (shíjiān) is needed, as in 我没有时光. That should be 我没有时间 (Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān), because 时光 is not for schedules or available time. Also keep 光 in the first tone, guāng, not guǎng.
时光 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.
时 shí · o'clock · 7 strokes
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光 guāng · light · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 时光.
| 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 时光
What does 时光 mean?
时光 (shíguāng) means "time (esp. as sth that passes)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 时光?
时光 is made of 2 characters: 时 (7 strokes), 光 (6 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 时光 an HSK word?
Yes. 时光 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 时光 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 时光 is written 時光.
What does 时光飞逝 mean?
时光飞逝 (shíguāng fēi shì) means time flies. It is a common set phrase in speeches, letters and social media posts when people look back on the past.
Can 时光 be used for a clock time like 3 o'clock?
No. 时光 never refers to a point on the clock. For that use 时候 (shíhou) or 点 (diǎn), as in 三点 (sān diǎn) for three o'clock.