====== làngfèi shíjiān: 浪费时间 - To Waste Time, A Waste of Time ======
===== Quick Summary =====
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  * **Summary:** Learn how to say "to waste time" in Chinese with the essential phrase **浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān)**. This guide breaks down the meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage of this common expression. Discover how it reflects Chinese cultural values on productivity and efficiency, and learn to use it correctly in everyday conversations, from complaining about traffic to advising a friend, with 10 practical example sentences.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** làngfèi shíjiān
  * **Part of Speech:** Verb Phrase (can also function as a noun phrase)
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 (for 浪费)
  * **Concise Definition:** To use time in a way that is not effective, useful, or productive.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān)** is the direct and most common way to express the idea of "wasting time" in Mandarin Chinese. It carries a negative connotation, implying that the time spent on an activity was pointless and could have been used for something more valuable. It's a versatile phrase used for complaining, giving advice, or expressing regret.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **浪 (làng):** The original meaning is "wave." By extension, it came to mean "unrestrained," "dissolute," or "wasteful," like the purposeless and dissipated energy of crashing waves.
  * **费 (fèi):** This character means "to spend," "to consume," or "a fee/expense." It refers to the expenditure of a resource.
  * **时 (shí):** This character simply means "time" or "hour."
  * **间 (jiān):** This means "space," "interval," or "duration."
The first two characters, **浪费 (làngfèi)**, form a compound word meaning "to waste" or "to squander." When you combine it with **时间 (shíjiān)**, the word for "time," the meaning is a literal and straightforward "to wastefully spend time."
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
The concept of **浪费时间** is taken quite seriously in Chinese culture, which traditionally places a high value on diligence, productivity, and self-improvement. There is a famous proverb that every student learns: **一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴 (yī cùn guāngyīn yī cùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn)**, which translates to "An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time." This deeply ingrained idea frames time as a precious, non-renewable resource that must be used wisely.
In contrast to some Western cultures where "wasting time" can be rebranded positively as "downtime," "me-time," or "relaxing," the Chinese term **浪费时间** is almost exclusively negative. While relaxing (**放松 fàngsōng**) and resting (**休息 xiūxi**) are seen as necessary, activities perceived as truly aimless or unproductive are labeled a "waste." This perspective often drives the emphasis on academic achievement and efficient work, as any time not spent productively can be seen as a loss.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**浪费时间** is an extremely common phrase used in all registers of speech, from casual complaints to formal critiques.
  * **Complaining:** People frequently use it to complain about daily inefficiencies.
    *   Waiting in a long line: `排队太浪费时间了！(Páiduì tài làngfèi shíjiān le!)` - "Queueing is such a waste of time!"
    *   Pointless meetings: `我们今天的会完全是在浪费时间。(Wǒmen jīntiān de huì wánquán shì zài làngfèi shíjiān.)` - "Our meeting today was a complete waste of time."
  * **Giving Advice or Warnings:** It's often used to admonish someone, particularly from a position of authority (like a parent to a child) or concern (a friend to a friend).
    *   `别再玩手机了，不要浪费时间！(Bié zài wán shǒujī le, bùyào làngfèi shíjiān!)` - "Stop playing on your phone, don't waste time!"
  * **Expressing Regret:** People use it to reflect on past decisions or periods of inactivity.
    *   `我后悔大学时浪费了那么多时间。(Wǒ hòuhuǐ dàxué shí làngfèi le nàme duō shíjiān.)` - "I regret wasting so much time in college."
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    *   跟他争论纯粹是**浪费时间**。
    *   Pinyin: Gēn tā zhēnglùn chúncuì shì **làngfèi shíjiān**.
    *   English: Arguing with him is purely a waste of time.
    *   Analysis: Here, `浪费时间` functions as a noun phrase, describing what the act of "arguing" is. `纯粹是 (chúncuì shì)` means "is purely" or "is simply," emphasizing the pointlessness of the action.
  * **Example 2:**
    *   快点做作业，别**浪费时间**看电视了！
    *   Pinyin: Kuài diǎn zuò zuòyè, bié **làngfèi shíjiān** kàn diànshì le!
    *   English: Hurry up and do your homework, stop wasting time watching TV!
    *   Analysis: A classic example of a command, often from a parent or teacher. `别 (bié)` is used to mean "don't," creating a direct negative command.
  * **Example 3:**
    *   我觉得这个会议**浪费**了我们一个下午的**时间**。
    *   Pinyin: Wǒ juéde zhège huìyì **làngfèi** le wǒmen yī ge xiàwǔ de **shíjiān**.
    *   English: I feel that this meeting wasted a whole afternoon of our time.
    *   Analysis: This sentence shows how the phrase can be split. The object (`一个下午的时间` - one afternoon's time) is placed between `浪费` and `时间`. The particle `了 (le)` indicates the completion of the action "to waste."
  * **Example 4:**
    *   堵车真是**浪费时间**，我上班要迟到了。
    *   Pinyin: Dǔchē zhēnshi **làngfèi shíjiān**, wǒ shàngbān yào chídào le.
    *   English: Traffic jams are such a waste of time, I'm going to be late for work.
    *   Analysis: A common complaint in modern city life. `真是 (zhēnshi)` means "really is" and is used here for emphasis and to express frustration.
  * **Example 5:**
    *   如果你不喜欢这份工作，就别再**浪费时间**了，赶快找新的吧。
    *   Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bù xǐhuān zhè fèn gōngzuò, jiù bié zài **làngfèi shíjiān** le, gǎnkuài zhǎo xīn de ba.
    *   English: If you don't like this job, then stop wasting time and hurry up and find a new one.
    *   Analysis: This is a great example of practical advice between friends. `别再...了 (bié zài...le)` means "don't... anymore."
  * **Example 6:**
    *   为了省一点钱而花几个小时比较价格，太**浪费时间**了。
    *   Pinyin: Wèile shěng yīdiǎn qián ér huā jǐ ge xiǎoshí bǐjiào jiàgé, tài **làngfèi shíjiān** le.
    *   English: Spending several hours comparing prices just to save a little money is too much of a waste of time.
    *   Analysis: This sentence shows a judgment about the value of time versus money. The `太...了 (tài...le)` structure emphasizes that it is "too much" of a waste.
  * **Example 7:**
    *   请不要**浪费我**的**时间**，直接告诉我结果。
    *   Pinyin: Qǐng bùyào **làngfèi wǒ** de **shíjiān**, zhíjiē gàosù wǒ jiéguǒ.
    *   English: Please don't waste my time, just tell me the result directly.
    *   Analysis: Another example of splitting the phrase, this time with a possessive pronoun: `浪费我的时间 (làngfèi wǒ de shíjiān)` - "waste my time." This is very direct and can sound impatient or even rude depending on the tone.
  * **Example 8:**
    *   这部电影又长又无聊，我感觉**浪费**了两个**小时**的生命。
    *   Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng yòu cháng yòu wúliáo, wǒ gǎnjué **làngfèi** le liǎng ge **xiǎoshí** de shēngmìng.
    *   English: This movie was long and boring, I feel like I wasted two hours of my life.
    *   Analysis: A common and slightly dramatic way to critique media. Note how `时间` is replaced with `两个小时的生命` (two hours of life) for emphasis, but the core verb is still `浪费`.
  * **Example 9:**
    *   与其**浪费时间**担心，不如开始行动。
    *   Pinyin: Yǔqí **làngfèi shíjiān** dānxīn, bùrú kāishǐ xíngdòng.
    *   English: Rather than waste time worrying, it's better to start taking action.
    *   Analysis: This uses the `与其 A, 不如 B (yǔqí A, bùrú B)` structure, meaning "rather than A, it's better to B." It's a great pattern for giving constructive advice.
  * **Example 10:**
    *   他每天花大量时间刷短视频，真是**浪费时间**。
    *   Pinyin: Tā měitiān huā dàliàng shíjiān shuā duǎn shìpín, zhēnshi **làngfèi shíjiān**.
    *   English: He spends a huge amount of time every day scrolling short videos, it's really a waste of time.
    *   Analysis: A very modern context. `刷短视频 (shuā duǎn shìpín)` means "to scroll/browse short videos" (like on TikTok/Douyin). This sentence expresses a judgment on how another person uses their time.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Wasting Time vs. Killing Time:** English speakers often confuse "wasting time" with "killing time." In Chinese, these are distinct.
    *   **浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān)** is negative. It implies you **should** be doing something more productive.
    *   **[[打发时间]] (dǎfa shíjiān)** means "to kill time" or "to pass the time." It's neutral. You use it when you are stuck waiting with nothing better to do, like waiting for a flight. You are simply "passing the time," not necessarily "wasting" it in a regrettable way.
  * **Wasting Time vs. Resting:** A common mistake is to use **浪费时间** to describe necessary rest.
    *   **Incorrect:** `我昨天很累，所以我浪费时间睡了十个小时。` (I was tired yesterday, so I wasted time sleeping for 10 hours.)
    *   **Why it's wrong:** Sleeping when tired is seen as a necessary and good use of time. Using `浪费时间` here sounds illogical, as if you regret resting. You would simply say: `我昨天很累，所以睡了十个小时。` (I was tired yesterday, so I slept for 10 hours.)
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * **[[打发时间]] (dǎfa shíjiān)** - To kill time, to pass the time. A more neutral alternative to `浪费时间`.
  * **[[珍惜时间]] (zhēnxī shíjiān)** - To cherish time, to treasure time. The direct antonym and the cultural value that `浪费时间` goes against.
  * **[[耽误]] (dānwu)** - To delay, to hold up. This focuses on causing a delay for a specific task or event, rather than just using time unproductively.
  * **[[耗时]] (hàoshí)** - Time-consuming. A neutral adjective to describe a task that takes a long time. It doesn't necessarily mean the time was wasted.
  * **[[虚度光阴]] (xūdù guāngyīn)** - To idle away one's time; to fritter away one's days. A more literary and formal synonym (a //chengyu//) for `浪费时间`.
  * **[[白费功夫]] (báifèi gōngfu)** - To waste effort; to work in vain. A related concept, but it focuses on wasted //effort// that yields no result, which often overlaps with wasted time.
  * **[[省时间]] (shěng shíjiān)** - To save time. A common antonym.
  * **[[效率]] (xiàolǜ)** - Efficiency. The goal that one strives for to avoid `浪费时间`.