时间
shí jiān · HSK 1
time
⏰ 时间 = 时 (hour) + 间 (interval) — hour-interval = time
时 combines 日 (sun) + 寸 (measure), originally tracking sun position for hours. 间 shows 门 (gate) with 日 (sun) peeking through — a gap or interval. Together: the interval of hours, i.e. time.
时 — sun 日 + temple/measure 寺
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 日 (sun) gives the meaning of time or season, while 寺 (shí) supplies the sound. Early forms used 之 as the phonetic before 寺 replaced it. The core sense 'season, time, hour' has stayed stable since ancient Chinese.
间 — gate 門 + sun 日 (originally moon 月)
Originally written 閒, showing the moon 月 shining through a gate 門 — the gap or space between the doors. The moon was later replaced by 日 (sun), giving the modern 间. The core meaning 'space/interval between' extended to time intervals, rooms, and the measure word for buildings.