小时

小時

xiǎoshí

noun HSK 1 #302

Meanings

Literally 'small time' - the smaller unit of time (compared to 大时 which was the traditional Chinese double-hour).

HSK 1

从这里到机场要一个小时。

Cóng zhèlǐ dào jīchǎng yào yí ge xiǎoshí.

It takes one hour from here to the airport.

HSK 3

我每天学习两个小时。

Wǒ měitiān xuéxí liǎng gè xiǎoshí.

I study for two hours every day.

HSK 3

他花了三个小时才修好电脑。

Tā huā le sān gè xiǎoshí cái xiū hǎo diànnǎo.

He spent three hours before he fixed the computer.

history

Traditional Chinese time was divided into 12 double-hours (时辰). When Western clocks arrived, the new shorter hour was called 小时 (small hour).

grammar

Always use 个 as the measure word: 一个小时, 两个小时, 三个小时.

小 xiǎo

时 shí