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時候. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
時候, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
時候 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
時候 you have here. The definition of the word
時候 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
時候, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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o'clock; time; when o'clock; time; when; hour; season; period
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wait
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trad. (時候)
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時
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候
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simp. (时候)
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时
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候
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Pronunciation
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
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Character
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時
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候
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Reading #
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1/1
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1/1
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Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
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shí
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hòu
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Middle Chinese
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‹ dzyi ›
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‹ huwH ›
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Old Chinese
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/*ə/ (~ *əʔ)
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/*ˁ(r)o-s/
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English
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time
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wait upon
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Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
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Zhengzhang system (2003)
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Character
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時
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候
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Reading #
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1/1
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1/1
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No.
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12042
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5154
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Phonetic component
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寺
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侯
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Rime group
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之
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侯
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Rime subdivision
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0
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0
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Corresponding MC rime
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時
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𠋫
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Old Chinese
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/*djɯ/
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/*ɡoːs/
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Noun
時候
- period of time
- 上課的時候/上课的时候 ― shàngkè de shíhou ― during class
- a point in time
到時候再決定吧。 [MSC, trad.]
到时候再决定吧。 [MSC, simp.]- Dào shíhou zài juédìng ba.
- We'll decide later.
時候不早了,趕快睡覺吧! [MSC, trad.]
时候不早了,赶快睡觉吧! [MSC, simp.]- Shíhou bùzǎo le, gǎnkuài shuìjiào ba!
- It's getting late. Get to bed!
這個時候該怎麼辦呢? [MSC, trad.]
这个时候该怎么办呢? [MSC, simp.]- Zhège shíhou gāi zěnme bàn ne?
- What do I do at this moment?
你知道現在是什麼時候了嗎? [MSC, trad.]
你知道现在是什么时候了吗? [MSC, simp.]- Nǐ zhīdào xiànzài shì shénme shíhou le ma?
- Do you know what time is it now?
- (Classical) season and climate
Usage notes
Often placed at the end of a clause, and preceded by 的 (de), to indicate when something happens. For example:
- 當我想你的時候/当我想你的时候 ― dāng wǒ xiǎng nǐ de shíhou ― when I think of you
Note that 當/当 (dāng) is often omitted, and that 時/时 (shí) (not preceded by 的 (de)) can also be used the same way.
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
時候 (“time”)
Variety
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Location
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Words
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Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
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時候
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Mandarin
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Beijing
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時候兒, 工夫兒
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Taiwan
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時候
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Jinan
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時候
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Luoyang
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時候兒
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Wanrong
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時候
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Xi'an
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時候, 時間
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Xining
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時候
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Ürümqi
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時節
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Wuhan
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時辰, 時候
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Chengdu
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時候
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Yangzhou
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時候
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Hefei
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時候
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Malaysia
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時候
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Singapore
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時候
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Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
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時候, 時候兒
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Cantonese
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Guangzhou
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時候
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Hong Kong
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時候
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Yangjiang
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時候
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Singapore (Guangfu)
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時候
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Gan
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Nanchang
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時間, 時候, 場中
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Pingxiang
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時會
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Hakka
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Meixian
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時候
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Changting
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時節
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Liancheng
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時節
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Miaoli (N. Sixian)
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時節
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Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
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時節
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Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
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時節
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Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
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時節
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Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
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時節
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Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
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時務
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Huizhou
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Jixi
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時候
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Jin
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Taiyuan
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時候
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Northern Min
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Jian'ou
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時候
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Eastern Min
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Fuzhou
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辰候, 時候
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Changle
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辰候
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Fuqing
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時辰
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Yongtai
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辰候
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Gutian
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辰候
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Fu'an
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辰候
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Ningde
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流桓
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Shouning
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辰候
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Zhouning
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辰候
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Fuding
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辰候
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Southern Min
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Xiamen
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時陣, 時節
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Xiamen (Tong'an)
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時陣
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Quanzhou
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時陣
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Jinjiang
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時節, 時陣
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Shishi
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時陣
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Anxi
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時陣
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Yongchun
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時節, 時陣
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Zhangzhou
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時陣
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Zhangzhou (Longhai)
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時陣
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Zhangzhou (Changtai)
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時陣
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Zhao'an
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時陣
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Taipei
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時陣
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New Taipei (Sanxia)
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時陣
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Kaohsiung
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時陣
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Yilan
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時陣, 當時
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Changhua (Lukang)
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時陣
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Taichung
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時陣
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Taichung (Wuqi)
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時陣
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Tainan
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時陣
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Taitung
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時陣
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Hsinchu
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時陣
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Kinmen
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時陣
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Penghu (Magong)
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時陣
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Singapore (Hokkien)
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時陣
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Manila (Hokkien)
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時陣, 時節
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Chaozhou
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時陣, 時候
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Shantou
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時候
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Shantou (Chaoyang)
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時候
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Jieyang
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時陣
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Singapore (Teochew)
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時候
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Wenchang
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時候
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Qionghai
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時候
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Singapore (Hainanese)
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時候
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Puxian Min
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Putian
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時節, 時頭
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Xianyou
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時節
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Wu
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Shanghai
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辰光
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Shanghai (Chongming)
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辰光
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Suzhou
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辰光
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Danyang
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時候, 辰光
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Hangzhou
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辰光
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Hangzhou (Yuhang)
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辰光
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Ningbo
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辰光, 時節 rare, 時候 dated
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Wenzhou
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時節
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Jinhua
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時節
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Xiang
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Changsha
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時候
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Loudi
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時界, 時界唧, 時際
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Shuangfeng
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時候, 時基, 時家
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- (time): 年數/年数 (niánshù), 年代 (niándài), (archaic) 年紀/年纪 (niánjì), 時間/时间 (shíjiān)
Derived terms
Descendants
References
Japanese
Etymology
Appears to be from Middle Chinese 時候 (MC dzyi huwH). The reading is a mix of older goon ji and relatively newer kan'on kō, suggesting a possible shift in reading after borrowing.
Pronunciation
Noun
時候 • (jikō)
- the weather or climate of each of the four seasons
References
- Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN