si4 san4時辰时辰
Jyutpingsi4 san4
Yalesìh sàhn
Definition
Shichen; a traditional Chinese unit of time equivalent to two hours, with twelve shichen in a day.
neutraltime
How it's used
Refers specifically to the traditional twelvefold division of a day, where each unit spans two modern hours. While rarely used for practical timekeeping today, it remains essential for reading traditional calendars, calculating horoscopes, or understanding historical narratives. It is distinct from the modern concept of time, which is usually expressed as 點鐘.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The auspicious time often mentioned in period dramas, which Chinese-hour does it actually refer to?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the general word for time, 時間, as it is a specific historical unit rather than a synonym for time in general.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
