verb phrase HSK 4
Traditional 珍惜時間
to treasure time · to value time · to cherish time
Meaning
This phrase means to value and make good use of time, treating it as precious and not wasting it. It reflects a cultural emphasis on productivity and the awareness that time is a limited resource that should be used wisely.
Usage
Commonly used in educational contexts, motivational speeches, and when encouraging someone to be more productive. Often appears in written Chinese and formal speech. Parents and teachers frequently use this phrase when advising young people to study hard and not waste their youth.
Examples
- 01我们应该珍惜时间，努力学习。, .We should treasure time and study hard.
- 02年轻人要懂得珍惜时间，不要虚度光阴。, .Young people should know how to value time and not idle away their days.
Characters
Common collocations
- 学会珍惜时间to learn to value time
- 珍惜时间的重要性the importance of valuing time
Antonyms
Origin
The word 珍惜 combines 珍 (precious, like a treasure or pearl) with 惜 (to feel reluctant to part with). 时间 is the standard modern Chinese word for time, where 时 refers to time periods and 间 refers to intervals or spaces.