适时
shìshí · HSK 7
betimes
⏰ 适 suitable + 时 time = the suitable time, i.e. timely, at the right moment
适 means fitting or suitable; 时 means time or moment. Together they mean acting when the time is fitting — timely, at just the right moment. Note both syllables are shì/shí, near-twins differing only in tone.
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.