古时候

古時候
gǔshíhou
noun #38,909

Meanings

  1. 1 in ancient times
  2. 2 in olden days
  3. 3 long ago

Examples

Gǔshíhou, rénmen yòng làzhú zhàomíng.
In ancient times, people used candles for light.
Gǔshíhou de rén xiāngxìn tiān yuán dì fāng.
People in ancient times believed that heaven was round and earth was square.

Tips

usage
古时候 is the colloquial equivalent of the more formal 古代 (gǔdài). It's the classic storybook opener — Chinese fairy tales and historical legends often begin with 古时候, much like English 'Long, long ago...'. Refers vaguely to pre-modern China.

Stroke Order

shí
hòu