及时 jí shí
“timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay”
adverbial adjective, adjectiveHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3Traditional 及時
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
及时 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1325: 及时 jíshí — Level 4; official annotation 4 (形、副). PDF page 113
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 及时
及时 means "timely, in time, promptly": doing something early enough to avoid a problem or catch an opportunity. It can be an adjective after 很 (很及时), a complement after 得 (来得及时), or an adverb before a verb (及时处理、及时通知). The typical pattern is 及时 + verb, often in advice or thanks like 要及时…、幸亏…及时.
例句Example sentences
- 出了问题要及时告诉老师。chū le wèn tí yào jí shí gào su lǎo shī.If there's a problem, tell the teacher promptly.
- 幸亏医生来得及时，老人已经没事了。xìng kuī yī sheng lái de jí shí, lǎo rén yǐ jīng méi shì le.Luckily the doctor came in time; the old man is fine now.
- 下雨了，我们及时把衣服收了回来。xià yǔ le, wǒ men jí shí bǎ yī fu shōu le huí lái.It started raining, so we brought the clothes in in time.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他来了及时。
✓他及时来了。
他来了及时 is ungrammatical. Put 及时 before the verb (他及时来了), or use it as a complement with 得 (他来得及时).