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时shí

Character evolution

时

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

Time. The character combines 日 (sun) with 止 (foot), originally depicting the shadow cast by the sun as it moves—the ancient Chinese measured time by tracking the sun's position, just as one tracks a walking figure. The foot component represents movement and passage, while the sun provides the reference point, together capturing the idea of temporal progression. This sundial concept evolved through the bronze inscriptions and script forms into the modern 时, retaining the essential logic of marking moments through solar observation.

Pinyin

shí· HSK 1