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消遣

xiāo qiǎn
HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

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Definitions

  1. 1. to while the time away
  2. 2. amusement
  3. 3. pastime
  4. 4. recreation
  5. 5. to make sport of

Word relationships

Related words

2 items
消磨
xiāo mó

to wear down

Both involve passing time, but 消磨 often carries a nuance of killing time aimlessly.
排遣
pái qiǎn

to divert oneself from (loneliness, grief etc)

Both imply dispelling negative feelings; 排遣 focuses on driving away loneliness or boredom.

Synonyms

2 items
娱乐
yú lè

to entertain

As a pastime or recreational activity, 消遣 and 娱乐 can be used interchangeably.
戏弄
xì nòng

to play tricks on

When meaning 'to make sport of', 消遣 can be synonymous with 戏弄.

Usage notes

Collocations

消遣 is often used in the pattern 消遣时光 or as a noun in 一种消遣.

Common mistakes

When meaning 'to pass time in a leisurely way', 消遣 is intransitive and cannot take a direct object like *消遣时间; use 消磨时间 instead.

Example Sentences

1 shown
我喜欢看书作为 消遣 。
I like reading as a pastime.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 消遣

消
xiāo

to diminish; to subside

遣
qiǎn

(bound form) to dispatch; to send