The word 时间 is formed by combining two conceptual characters: 时, which originally depicted the sun's movement and means a specific point, season, or hour (a moment in time), with 间, which shows a gate or door under the moonlight and carries the meaning of an interval, gap, or space between things. Together, they conceptually merge the idea of discrete moments (时) with the continuous, flowing quality of the space or duration (间) that connects them, forming the comprehensive concept of "time" as a measurable continuum.