About
The character 候 (hòu) is a phono-semantic compound centered on observation and time. It combines the semantic radical 亻 (rén), representing a person, with a phonetic component based on 侯 (hóu), meaning "marquis" or "archery target", plus an additional stroke. Its original sense was to watch for or scout from a distance, which naturally extended to meanings of waiting, expecting, and inquiring. The character also denotes specific times, seasons, and weather conditions, reflecting a conceptual shift from a person observing an event to the periods in which such events occur.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请稍候一会儿。
时候不早了，我们走吧。
这里的气候很好。
他在等候公共汽车。
他是候选人之一。
请耐心等候通知。
气候的变化影响全球。
候选人正在准备竞选演讲。