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).

Wǒ měitiān xuéxí liǎng gè xiǎoshí.

I study for two hours every day.

Cóng zhèlǐ dào jīchǎng yào yí gè xiǎoshí.

It takes one hour from here to the airport.

history

Traditional Chinese time was divided into 12 double-hours (时辰 shíchen). 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