时候
HSK 1 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 1
时候 (shíhou) · time
时候 (shíhou) means “time; moment”. It is written with 2 characters: 时 (time) + 候 (time). It is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 时候 is built
The characters
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)
候 hòu · time
What 候 is made of
- 亻rén — person
- 矦hóu — target in archery
Origin hint: 亻 gives the meaning, 矦 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
你什么时候来？Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?When are you coming?
我小时候住在北京。Wǒ xiǎoshíhou zhù zài Běijīng.I lived in Beijing when I was little.
Questions about 时候
What does 时候 mean?
时候 (shíhou) means “time; moment”.
How do you pronounce 时候?
时候 is pronounced shíhou.
Which HSK level is 时候?
时候 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Related words
- 时间shíjiāntime
- 小时xiǎoshíhour
- 有时候yǒushíhousometimes
- 当时dāngshíthen
- 那时候nà shíhouat that time
- 平时píngshíusually
- 随时suíshíat any time
- 同时tóngshíat the same time
- 小时候xiǎoshíhouin one's childhood
- 这时候zhè shíhouat this time
Learn 时候 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 10: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.