小时
HSK 1 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 2
小时 (xiǎoshí) · hour
小时 (xiǎoshí) means “hour”. It is written with 2 characters: 小 (small) + 时 (time). It is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 小时 is built
The characters
小 xiǎo · small
What 小 is made of
- 亅 — hook
- 八bā — eight
Origin hint: Dividing 八 by a line 亅 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
时 shí · time
What 时 is made of
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 寸cùn — inch
Origin hint: day (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我睡了八个小时。Wǒ shuì le bā gè xiǎoshí.I slept for eight hours.
坐车去要几个小时？Zuò chē qù yào jǐ gè xiǎoshí?How many hours does it take by car?
Questions about 小时
What does 小时 mean?
小时 (xiǎoshí) means “hour”.
How do you pronounce 小时?
小时 is pronounced xiǎoshí.
Which HSK level is 小时?
小时 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Related words
- 小孩儿xiǎoháirchild
- 小姐xiǎojieMiss
- 小朋友xiǎopéngyǒuchild
- 小学xiǎoxuéprimary school
- 小学生xiǎoxuéshēngprimary school student
- 从小cóngxiǎofrom childhood
- 大小dàxiǎosize
- 小声xiǎoshēngin a low voice
- 小时候xiǎoshíhouin one's childhood
- 小说xiǎoshuōnovel
Learn 小时 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 16: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.