时间
现在几点了？我想知道现在的时间。
What time is it? I want to know the current time.
The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
时间过得真快，转眼间一年过去了。
Time flies; a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
我们没有多少时间了，必须加快速度。
We don’t have much time left; we need to speed up.
Used to refer to a specific point or period when something occurs.
The point or period when something occurs.
你什么时间到达机场？
What time will you arrive at the airport?
这个会议安排在什么时间？
What time is the meeting scheduled for?
Often used with a possessive pronoun (e.g., 我的时间, 你的时间) to indicate personal availability or allocation.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 时间 and 时候
时间 refers to time as an abstract concept or a specific point/period (e.g., 现在的时间 'current time'). 时候 refers to a specific moment or occasion (e.g., 吃饭的时候 'during mealtime').
Gold Rule
Time expressions
Use 时间 for general time (e.g., 我没有时间 'I have no time') and 时候 for specific contexts (e.g., 你什么时候来？ 'When are you coming?').
Word Origin
From Old Chinese *ɢljɯn (time, period) + *ɢljɯn (interval, space), compounded to mean 'measured duration' in Classical Chinese.
Usage Notes
时间 is the most general term for 'time' in Chinese, covering both abstract duration and specific moments. It is uncountable and typically used without classifiers unless referring to a specific instance (e.g., 一段时间 'a period of time').