Time[1], in the Chinese perception, is associated with the cardinal points and the five elements (wood, fire, metal, water and earth). According to The Order of the Months月令, a chapter in the Book of Rites 礼记, from the Warring States Period (475-221 BCE), spring influences the direction of east and is ruled by the element of wood; summer influences the south and is ruled by the element of fire; autumn influences the west and is ruled by the element of metal; winter influences the north and is ruled by the element of water; the element of earth influences the center, the crossing of the four cardinal points, and is itself ruled by the four seasons.
In Chinese, time is signified by the word 时, which also means "hour", "period", "age", "season" and "opportunity". Originally, this word was associated with doing things at the right time, which means doing things in harmony with the five elements, hence its association with opportunity.
In ancient Chinese texts there is no one point by which to mark the beginning of time. Thus, in Chinese chronologies, unlike the Western ones, there is no starting moment of counting time, such as the birth of Jesus. Instead, there are frequent beginnings based on the establishment of a new dynasty. In the personal domain, time is defined by birth and death, with a human life considered as a mere fraction of a long dynasty that includes the dead and the living.
The perception of time originates in an awareness of cyclical natural phenomena such as day and night and the changing seasons. The traditional Chinese year is a lunar one, divided into 12 lunar months, further divided into three time units: two comprised of ten days each, and one comprised of nine days. The Chinese holidays are usually associated with the phases of the moon, especially with the full moon, when the night is bright.
In order to measure time, the ancient Chinese used sundials or water clocks. These sundials were divided into 100 equal parts, each representing about 15 minutes. During the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) local government officials erected a complicated system of drum towers to announce the hour. In the palace of the emperor drumming would mark the beginning of the working day, while in the government offices a gong would sound for this purpose.
Up until modern times the city gates would be closed in the evening and opened in the morning with the call of the rooster. On the longest day in the year the city gates would be closed for the whole day, in order to keep demons away from the city.
In 1088 CE an amazingly complicated and precise astronomical clock tower was built in the city of Kai-Feng 开封 . The emperor who initiated the building of the tower was Zhe Zong 哲宗(ruled 1086-1100 CE), and the builder of the clock was Su Song 苏颂(1020-1101 CE), an expert in calculation of calendar years. The tower rose to a height of 12 meters and the clock was powered by a water-wheel. A single mechanism controlled all the parts of the clock, with no human effort. The upper part of the clock enabled precise astrological observations; its central part was a heavenly ball that presented the movement of the heavenly bodies; and its lower part was made up of 117 automatic dolls. Each hour was announced by one of these dolls, which emerged from the five-floor pagoda, hit the gong, rang the bell, or carried a board on which the hour was inscribed. This was the most sophisticated clock in existence in China Beijing
In 1577 the missionary Matheo Ricci brought European clocks to China China
In present-day China
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瓜熟蒂落
A melon falls from the stem when it is ripe
A melon falls from the stem when it is ripe
Matters are settled when the time is ripe.
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时到花就开
When time will come the flower will bloom
One should wait for the right time to do things.
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先下手为强
He who is the first to strike has an advantage
This is used in martial arts, and also means:
It is preferable to be the first to act
In English they say:
The early bird catches the worm
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八月十五吃月饼正是时候
Eating moon cakes[1] on the 15th day of the lunar month – exactly the right time
This is said when everything matches up well. [1] Moon cakes 月饼 are round cakes that the Chinese eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also called the Moon Festival. It is celebrated on the day of the full moon. The round-shaped moon symbolizes family reunion. The family assembles in a circle in the form of the moon and eats moon cakes, without which the celebration is not complete.
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失落黄金有处找失落光阴无处寻
Lost gold – seek it and you will find it somewhere; time lost - though you will seek it, you will not find it anywhere
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新池无大鱼新林无长木
In a new pond there are no big fish; in a new forest there are no big trees
It takes time for things to ripen.
It takes time for things to ripen.
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神仙难钓午时鱼
Things should be done at the right time.
In the Bible it is written:
לַכּל זמן ועת לכל חפץ תחת השמים (קהלת ג', 1).
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3, 1)
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打铁趁热
Better strike while the iron is hot
Or:
行船趁顺风打铁趁火红
Better sail in a good wind, better strike while the iron is fiery red
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上轿扎耳朵眼儿
To pierce the ear [of the bride] while [she] is sitting in the sedan chair
Too late.
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. 八字没有 一撇
There is not even a beginning. Too early. A solution does not seem viable.
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一寸光阴一寸金寸金难买寸光阴
Literally: One inch of time (from the length of a cast shadow) is worth one inch of gold; [nevertheless], an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.
Time is very precious but it cannot be bought.
An English idiom that parallels the first part of this idiom:
Time is money
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不到江边不脱鞋
Literally: Do not remove your shoes before reaching the riverbank.
Act only when the time is ripe!
[1]The character 八 (literally: eight) is comprised of two strokes. The left one, which is written in a descending movement, is called 撇.
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神仙难钓午时鱼
Things should be done at the right time.
In the Bible it is written:
לַכּל זמן ועת לכל חפץ תחת השמים (קהלת ג', 1).
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3, 1)
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打铁趁热
Better strike while the iron is hot
Or:
行船趁顺风打铁趁火红
Better sail in a good wind, better strike while the iron is fiery red
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上轿扎耳朵眼儿
To pierce the ear [of the bride] while [she] is sitting in the sedan chair
Too late. *
神仙难钓午时鱼
Things should be done at the right time.
In the Bible it is written:
לַכּל זמן ועת לכל חפץ תחת השמים (קהלת ג', 1).
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3, 1)
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打铁趁热
Better strike while the iron is hot
Or:
行船趁顺风打铁趁火红
Better sail in a good wind, better strike while the iron is fiery red
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上轿扎耳朵眼儿
To pierce the ear [of the bride] while [she] is sitting in the sedan chair
Too late. [1] Moon cakes 月饼 are round cakes that the Chinese eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also called the Moon Festival. It is celebrated on the day of the full moon. The round-shaped moon symbolizes family reunion. The family assembles in a circle in the form of the moon and eats moon cakes, without which the celebration is not complete.
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