消遣

xiāoqiǎn

noun HSK 7-9 #10,131

Meanings

1 pastime
2 recreation
3 amusement

Characters

dispatch; send away

Literally 'to dispel and send away' (boredom)

Examples

看书是他最大的消遣。

Kàn shū shì tā zuì dà de xiāoqiǎn.

Reading is his favorite pastime.

下雨天在家找点消遣吧。

Xiàyǔtiān zàijiā zhǎo diǎn xiāoqiǎn ba.

Find some entertainment at home on rainy days.

钓鱼只是一种消遣而已。

Diàoyú zhǐshì yī zhǒng xiāoqiǎn éryǐ.

Fishing is just a pastime, that's all.

Tips

usage

消遣 can be a noun (pastime) or verb (to amuse oneself). It implies leisure activity to kill time, not serious pursuit. 拿人消遣 means 'to make fun of someone'.

Stroke Order

消 xiāo

遣 qiǎn