时间 shí jiān
“time; period”
nounHSK 2 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 時間Measure word 段
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
时间 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 186: 时间 shíjiān — Level 1; official annotation 1 (名). PDF page 84
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 时间
时间 is the everyday noun for “time.” It is used for available time, time spent doing something, and time in general; common patterns are 有时间/没时间, 花时间做…, and 时间不够. It is a noun, so it usually follows 有/没有/花 or comes before 不够.
例句Example sentences
- 你今天有时间吗？nǐ jīn tiān yǒu shí jiān ma?Do you have time today?
- 我们时间不够，快走吧。wǒ men shí jiān bú gòu, kuài zǒu ba.We don’t have enough time, so let’s go quickly.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗现在几时间？
✓现在几点？
To ask the exact clock time, use 几点, not 几时间.
-
✗我花时间很多学习中文。
✓我花很多时间学习中文。
很多 must come before the noun 时间 after the verb 花.
易混词Easily confused
时间vs时候
时间 is “time” as an amount or general time; 时候 is “moment/occasion,” common in 的时候 and 什么时候.