🚧 ToneDeck is in active development - tap to share feedback

时刻 (shí kè) — time in Mandarin

shí
time

🔊 Tap to hear it

#1393 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

时刻 is pronounced shí kè. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

shí
second tone (rising, ˊ)
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

In a sentence

Zài nàge shíkè, tā xiǎngqǐle zìjǐ de péngyou.

At that moment, he remembered his friend.

Hear it, then say it right

Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 时刻 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.

Start free

Frequently asked questions

What does 时刻 mean?+

时刻 (shí kè) means "time" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 时刻?+

时刻 is pronounced shí kè. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 时刻 in Mandarin?+

时刻 is the #1393 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 时刻 fits

HSK 5 · CEFR B2
See the full HSK 5 vocabulary list

Every HSK 5 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

Words at a similar frequency

Master the tones first

Coming to iOS & Android

The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.

ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.

Coming soon to theApp Store
Coming soon toGoogle Play
Sign up free and start training

Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.