TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
時
ㄕˊ · shí
noun — time; hour; season
字源 FORM — what the parts do
{z,c,s}↔{zh,ch,sh}ITsì → shí — the {z,c,s}↔{zh,ch,sh} crossing; tone shifts too
The sun (日) carries the meaning; 寺 sì gives the sound, s crossed to sh. The sun's positions cut the year and the day into pieces — first the four seasons 四時, then time itself: 時間、時候、小時.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
日頭（日）斜了，影子爬過門檻，灶上的飯也熟了。
The sun (日) slants; the shadow crawls past the doorsill, and the rice on the stove is done.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)四時——季節— the seasons
→時間、時候— time常用
⇒小時、準時— the hour; on time
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension